


The Mysterious Flower Shop

by CherieoftheDragons (SignCherie)



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Angst, Canon-Typical Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, Drug Use, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Insecurity, Language of Flowers, Magic, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Explicit Torture, Rating May Change, Sleep Deprivation, mc has a name, ray's route spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-19 10:19:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 54,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14235153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SignCherie/pseuds/CherieoftheDragons
Summary: Every day, MC walks past that quaint little flower shop, tucked in between the modern buildings of the city street, and wonders what’s inside. And then one day she realizes — she’s the only one who can see it.On the other side of the shop window, Ray watches the mortal world go by, not knowing that the pretty human he’s captivated by is about to change his life.----------Faery AU. My goal is to update the first Friday of every month.





	1. Lily of the Valley

**Author's Note:**

> Many, many thanks to TrulyCertain for her beta. 
> 
> MC's name is Charlotte.

Every day, the beautiful human walked past the flower shop window. And every day, Ray watched her.

He never meant to single her out. He like to watch people, all of them, going about their lives. They were so small, and mortal, and pretty. What did these humans think of as they walked down the street? Their lives were narrow and insulated, severed from the true magic of the world. A life like that — it seemed impossible, a fascinating mystery.

So he watched them, examining them, learning what he could. They were so different from each other. They were so much the same. He learned to recognize the faces of the regulars, the ones who walked the street often. He got to know their habits.

She caught his attention because of the rain.

It was a mostly sunny afternoon, and she was making her usual walk down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Weather spirits being fickle, it all changed in a matter of minutes. Clouds drifted in, and rain began to come down, first a drizzle, and then a downpour. All around, the humans scattered, running for the cover of the storefronts lining the street.

Except for her.

While the others scurried off, a grin spread across her face. She dropped the bag she was holding, tilting her face towards the sky, arms spread out at her sides. The joy in her expression was impossible to miss — and Ray found he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Her behavior wasn’t that strange, not really. He’d heard that some humans enjoyed the rain. But he couldn’t remember ever seeing a look of such unadulterated delight on a mortal face, not without the influence of faery elixir, and then their smiles were vague and unfocused.  The expression on this mortal’s face now… it was dazzling.

He wanted to see it again.

Without even thinking about it, he found himself seeking her out, taking note of what she did. She walked by five days a week, mornings and afternoons. Sometimes she was alone. Other times she was with friends. A blond young man, a woman with glasses, a businessman, a redhead, and an unusually attractive male. Those were the regulars.

He liked the way she smiled at them when they talked. He wondered how it would feel if she bestowed that smile on him.

Sometimes there were panhandlers on the street. Every time she saw them, she stopped to drop a bill in their cup and exchange a word or two. So she was kind and generous. He’d heard about those qualities, but he’d never seen them. It was a bit like what a brownie did, but what did she get in return? No one was rewarding her, not even with a bit of bread and honey. He shuddered to think what would happen to her if she ever attracted the notice of the fae. Such selflessness made her vulnerable.

He wished he could be kind like her.

She wore black every day, but it wasn’t solemn like the dark fae. It was soft and feminine, with lace and bows and flowing lines. Red hair framed her heart-shaped face, and freckles dusted her cheeks and nose. Her body was small and delicate, and most other humans towered over her. That worried him, too. Among humans, smaller was often taken for weaker, and that could make her a target among her own kind. He didn’t want her to be a target, not for anyone.

Then the fantasies began, beautiful and terrible and oh, so wrong. He needed to stop them, but no matter how hard he tried, they continued to flit through his head. What it would be like to make her laugh? How would her hand feel if he touched it with his own? He imagined her holding one of his flowers, inhaling its scent, maybe tucking it into her hair… The thought made him shiver, but in a very good way. In a frighteningly good way.

And then one day, her eyes turned in his direction.

It wasn’t him she was watching, but it was close enough to make his heart jump. She couldn’t be looking this way. Of course she couldn’t. The shop was glamoured, invisible to humans, magicked so that their eyes would slide right past it. Impossible for her to notice.

And yet, somehow, she was peering directly at it, her eyes lingering above the window where the gilded sign hung.

In a moment, her gaze had drifted away, and she continued on her way as if nothing had happened, leaving Ray behind, quivering in shock. She’d seen through the glamour. She could see the flower shop.

Was this good? Or was it very, very bad?

* * *

 

Every day, Charlotte wondered about that quaint little flower shop, entirely out of place nestled between the sharp, urban buildings. That little shop, with the curving slope of the roof, the bright green shutters and flower boxes, the irregular stone walls — it could have been plucked out of a fairy tale and dropped amidst the skyscrapers. If she stepped through that wooden door, she was sure something magical would happen.

Ha. Silly. She always did have a wild imagination.

One day, as she walked past with Yoosung, she thought she saw a flash of magenta in the window. It was the first movement she’d ever seen inside, and her curiosity flared.

“I never see anyone go into that flower shop,” she commented. “I wonder why.”

Yoosung looked around. “Flower shop?”

“Over there.”

He squinted. “That’s an art gallery.”

Was he blind? “Next to the art gallery.”

“You mean the department store? Is there a flower shop in there?”

Charlotte didn’t usually mind being teased, but for some reason, it annoyed her now. “No. Of course not. The shop _right there_.”

Yoosung gave her a blank look. “I don’t get it. Is there a joke?”

Before she could reprimand him for giving her a hard time, she looked into his eyes, and the genuine bafflement there surprised her. He wasn’t playing with her. He didn’t see it.

She looked back at the store, at the old-fashioned architecture and the hand-painted gold lettering on its sign. “How can you miss it?”

“I’m starving. Do you want to stop at the coffee shop and get some pie or something?”

When she looked back at her friend, he was walking away, apparently unaware that she wasn’t still at his side. Giving the mysterious flower shop one last glance, she hurried to catch up, reluctantly leaving the place behind.

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, she confirmed her suspicions. None of her friends could see that little shop. Zen, Jaehee, Jumin… they all looked at her like she was crazy, then forgot the conversation as quickly as it began. What was going on? She started watching the other passerbys. None of them ever spared it even the briefest of glances. It was as though the place didn’t exist at all.

* * *

 

She decided to go in.

It was a Thursday evening when she mustered the courage. She’d been kept late at work, and the sun was going down. As she passed the stone building, curiosity overtook nervousness, and before she could talk herself out of it, she opened the wooden door and stepped inside.

The sight before her shocked her into stillness.

It was magnificent. Magical. Blossoms of every type and color filled the room, the floral scent heavy in the air. Bins of flowers lined the low, short aisles, and hanging pots dangled from the ceiling above her, floral vines dripping down prettily. There were cut flowers and potted flowers, blooms of every color she’d ever seen — and she could swear some hues she hadn’t known existed.

“You — you’re here.”

The voice made her start, and she turned quickly to see a man standing in the corner by the window, looking at her with wide eyes. He was like nothing she’d ever seen before. White hair with pink tips fell into pale green eyes, set in a delicate, pointed face. A blue rose was pinned to his magenta jacket, which hung open over a black vest and ruffled cravat. _A cravat,_ she thought dimly, _who wears a cravat?_

“You came in.” The man’s voice was breathy as he lifted one closed, gloved hand to his heart. “Why did you come in?”

“I—” Suddenly her presence there seemed inexplicable, and she felt her cheeks getting warm. “I wanted to see the flowers.”

“Oh. Yes.” He exhaled, then nodded. “Of course. You wanted to see the flowers.”

Silence. She could think of nothing to say. Vaguely, she thought that she ought to stop staring at him, but the gentle awe in his eyes had her enraptured.

Finally, he blinked, then took a hesitant step towards her, gesturing uncertainly down an aisle. “Can I show you one I think you’ll like?”

Mouth dry, she nodded, then cleared her throat. “Please.”

The corners of his mouth lifted, and he led her down the aisle to a large vase at the end. The white flowers were tiny, like little bells suspended from long stems. She had the strange feeling that if she touched them, they just might chime.

So elegant and lovely. Yes, she liked these flowers very much. How had he known she would?

“These are May bells,” the man murmured. “Er— lily of the valley.”

“They’re…” She didn’t have the words. “Beautiful.”

“Yes.” He smiled happily at the flowers. “They’re my favorite. In flower language, they mean ‘promise of happiness’.” One gloved finger ran down a flower stem, and then he met her eyes. “Would you like one?”

His gentle gaze washed over her, hypnotic and soothing. She had to blink to clear her head before she could answer. “How much are they?”

Delicately, the man drew a blossoming stem from the vase and held it out to her. “A gift.”

“Oh,” was all she could say.

His brow furrowed. “Do — do you want it?”

“Yes! Yes.” She wanted it. She wanted it more than she should. Somehow it didn’t feel like a simple flower he was offering. It was what he said… a promise of happiness.

She reached her hand towards him, and his fingers brushed hers as he gave her the flower, sending a tingling sensation down her spine. Magic, this was magic. It had to be. This sensation overwhelming her, intoxicating and exciting… what else could it be?

“My name is Charlotte,” she said impulsively.

His mouth opened, then closed. “You’re giving me your name?”

Her head was starting to spin. “Shouldn’t I?”

Instead of answering, he bit his lip. “You can call me Ray.”

“Ray,” she repeated. “Thank you. For the flower.”

Silence fell again. God, what was she doing? Standing there gawking at him like an idiot. Quickly, she jerked her thumb towards the door. “I should go. I should — go,” she finished lamely.

“Oh. Yes.”

With great effort, she pulled her gaze from his and turned for the door. When her hand touched the knob, his voice made her freeze.

“Will you come back?”

Slowly, she turned to find him chewing on his bottom lip, hand once again closed over his heart.

“Yes.” The word was automatic. There was no doubt. She felt a smile spread across her face. “I’ll come back.”

His breath seemed to catch, and then he returned her smile. “I’m glad.”

* * *

 

The beautiful human had come into the shop. She’d come in.

_She’d come in._

Ray tried and failed to calm his racing heart. How had she come in? A mortal in the store — Oh, his queen was going to be so mad—!

But she’d seen him, she’d talked to him, she’d — smiled at him, ah, she’d smiled! At him! She’d accepted a gift from him, and her fingers had touched his…

And oh, most of all, she’d given him her name. He hadn’t even had to ask.

How could she trust him that much?

She would come back. She’d said she would. Gods, what would he do then? What if she tried to buy a flower? He didn’t know how much flowers cost in human currency, and not all of them could be let out of the shop. Oh, this was bad, it was so bad—

He was so happy. He couldn’t stop grinning.

Her name was Charlotte. She’d come into the shop, and she was coming back.

She was coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you'd like me to continue!  
> ETA: Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments. Since so many of you want to see more, I'll keep going!
> 
> ETA again: The amazingly talented rainylune has drawn beautiful fanart of this fic, and I'm so honored to have inspired it. [Please look, it's wonderful.](http://rainylune.tumblr.com/post/174098839048/so-uhh-quick-doodle-of-a-cute-scene-from-this)


	2. Gardenias

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to popular demand, the story goes on! My goal is to update every Friday. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you continue to tell me if you like it!
> 
> Flower meanings in this fic come mostly from https://www.800florals.com/care/meaning.asp. If I use another site, I will credit it as well.

Charlotte couldn’t stop thinking about Ray.

He was very handsome, although she’d only consciously realized that later, after she’d left the flower shop and was on her way home. His face was attractive in a delicate way, but it was his expressions that captivated her — the softness of his gaze, the hopeful way his lips quirked when he smiled, the slight lift of his brows as he offered her the flower…

 _Ray._ His name echoed through her mind as she lay in bed that night, drifting off to sleep. _Ray, Ray, Ray._

She couldn’t remember her dreams when she woke, but she knew they’d been happy.

He was on her mind all morning. She was so distracted as she got dressed that she almost left the house wearing two different shoes. Walking to work, her mind was a whirl. She had promised to go back. How long was it appropriate to wait? If she had her way, she would go back this morning, but that was surely too soon. So she forced herself to walk past the shop, though she couldn’t help gazing longingly at it as she passed. The afternoon — that might be too soon as well. Maybe she should wait until tomorrow.

Ha, no. She wouldn’t be able to hold out until tomorrow.

In her office, she found herself staring at the same email for half an hour, unable to think enough to keep typing. Ray. She couldn’t wait to see him again, but — what if he wasn’t there when she came back? There could be another employee tending the store. Her heart sank at the thought that she might not be able to see him again today after all.

But she was getting ahead of herself. Sure, he’d seemed to look at her like she was the only person in the world, but maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see. She’d only met the man once. There was no reason to think he was even interested in her.

A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts. Who…? She didn’t have an appointment, and the RFA was private enough that she wasn’t often sought out. Curiosity piqued, she did her best to push Ray’s face out of her mind and closed her laptop. “Come in.”

A tall man with shockingly blue-green hair opened the door slowly and stepped inside, a portfolio in his left hand. Tentatively, he approached her desk. “Forgive me. Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all.” She rose and held out her hand to the odd-looking man. “I’m Charlotte Lane, the coordinator for the Relief Fundraising Association.”

He took her hand in a warm, firm handshake. “V.”

She blinked in confusion, and the man chuckled. “Forgive me. V is what I’m called in my professional life. I’m a photographer.”

Curious, she gestured to the chair opposite her desk. “V. It’s a pleasure. What can I do for you?”

He sat down, placing his portfolio in his lap, and she took her seat as well. “I understand your organization is planning its second fundraising gala. I… have a proposal. I’d like to help.”

“Help is always welcome. What did you have in mind?”

“Well.” He cleared his throat. “My photographs are rather highly sought after. I’d like to donate my work for auction. A silent auction to be held at your party.”

An auction. She’d never considered the idea. “That’s an interesting proposal.”

“I hope it may be helpful. If I may?” He lifted his portfolio, a question in his eyes. At her nod, he unzipped the case and removed a stack of photos, carefully protected in sheets of plastic, which he set on her desk, placing a business card next to them.

Gently, she spread the photos out before her, and they captivated her immediately. They were nature photographs, all centering around the sun. Sunlight filtering through the leaves of a maple tree. A sunrise over a glittering ocean. A worm’s-eye view of a patch of daffodils, the sun bright behind the petals. Each one was beautifully composed and utterly enthralling.

“These are but a sample of my recent work,” V said, sounding self-conscious. “I don’t sell my photographs very often. I still have much to learn. But your cause is a great one, and I’d like to support it.”

Charlotte tore her eyes away from the photos to meet the man’s bright blue-green eyes. “Why us?” she asked without preamble. “There are certainly many charities out there who would welcome your assistance.”

His brows came together, and he gave a small nod. “Perhaps. But I’m a friend of one of your members. Luciel Choi. He told me of your organization.”

Luciel? She stopped herself before she could say that Luciel had never mentioned him, and smiled instead. “That’s wonderful! Any friend of Luciel is a friend of mine.”

He returned her smile warmly. “Are you and he close?”

“He’s one of my very best friends.”

V regarded her thoughtfully. “You seem like a kind person. I believe Luciel is lucky to have such a friend.”

She laughed at that. “You’ve only just met me.”

“Yes.” He smiled. “But I don’t think I’m wrong. You have a… fascinating air about you.” He coughed. “And Luciel wouldn’t befriend someone who wasn’t special.”

This turn of conversation was a little awkward, and she waved her hand to try to dismiss it. “Well, thank you. I appreciate the compliment. I’m lucky to have Luciel as well.”

“He’s the kind of friend who will be there through everything.”

“Yes.”

With a nod, V broke eye contact to look down at his portfolio, zipping it up. “These copies of my photos are for you to keep, to help you make your decision. I certainly don’t expect an immediate answer to my proposal. I should leave you to your work.”

“I’ll have to discuss it with the my associates, but I think I can safely say that we’d love to have your assistance, Mr. — V.”

He chuckled as he rose to his feet. “Just V, please.”

Charlotte stood as well. “V. Thank you very much for your offer.”

One more handshake, and V disappeared through the doorway, glancing at her over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

The room felt eerily silent after that, for no reason Charlotte could discern. Shrugging it off, she opened up her laptop and turned on some music, then started up the RFA app on her phone to share her news.

Funny to meet two such strange-looking men within twenty-four hours. But then, there definitely wasn’t the same magic with V that she’d felt with Ray.

Ray. At the thought of him, she smiled again. With any luck, she would see him soon.

* * *

 

Ray couldn’t calm his racing mind. Charlotte would come back, and the shop had to be ready for her. What flowers should he display by the door? Carnations, orchids? He wanted her to be greeted by the perfect flower when she came in. But there were so many to choose from — if he didn’t get it right, he might send the wrong message. He couldn’t let that happen.

He was changing the front display of gardenias —  _ you’re lovely, _ they said — for the third time when a voice near his ear made him jump out of his skin.

“Ray?”

He jerked his head around, stumbling backwards in shock. His Queen stood quietly beside him, watching him regally. “Your Majesty!”

She tilted her head thoughtfully, blond curls waving around her face. “Is something wrong?”

“No! Of course not!”

As she continued to scrutinize him, his heart thumped. He hadn’t told her about Charlotte. He knew he should, but — a mortal on fae grounds? What if she was angry? What if she decided to… to…

“Why are you rearranging the displays?”

“I — I thought — a change—”

“Have you finished filling all the orders?”

“The orders — oh. No, not all of them…”

“I see.”

His Queen turned her attention to the flowers he’d just been arranging, touching one of the petals before dropping her hand. “Something is different in the shop. I sense it. What happened, Ray?”

He should have known he couldn’t keep a secret. He should have known better than to try. “I was going to tell you. A mortal — a human — came in.”

Her sharp gaze landed on his face. “When was this?”

“Yesterday.”

“How did they see the shop?”

“I don’t know, my Queen.”

Her eyes were cold, and Ray tried not to panic. “You don't know?”

“No, my Queen. She just… came in.”

“She. A woman.”

Frowning, his queen reached for his face, pressing her palm against his cheek, searching his eyes with a look that was suddenly tender. Well, of course it was tender. She was the only person who loved him, and he could never forget that.

After a moment, she nodded and dropped her hand. “You like this mortal woman, don't you, Ray?”

“I—” How should he answer? “I know my place, your Majesty.”

“Of course you do.” Her smile was soft, understanding. “You're a simple brownie, nothing more. You're not strong enough to take care of a human pet.”

A… a pet? Charlotte? No, that was… she wasn't…

“is something wrong, Ray?”

“No. Nothing is wrong.” He couldn't possibly explain that this mortal was too good to be a pet, that if anything, he would be lucky to be a pet to her. He couldn't explain, so he said simply, “You are right, my Queen. I am not strong enough.”

“And you haven't finished your work. Do you think you deserve a reward like that?”

Guilt washed over him. “No. I have not been useful. I'm sorry, your Majesty. I'll do better.”

“Oh, Ray.” Her voice was gentle. “Of course you will. You don’t want to be useless, do you?”

No, oh no. The thought was horrifying. “ _Never_ , my Queen. I want to be useful to you always.”

She smiled with satisfaction. “Good. Now, about this human.”

His whole body tensed. She would make her decision now. _Please, let Charlotte be safe..._

“I believe she might be an asset to us,” his Queen declared.

His heart all but stopped. “Your Majesty?”

“It’s not often a mortal can see through the Veil. We might be able to use that.” She drummed her fingers on her chin. “If she comes in again, invite her to come back. And keep her coming back.”

This couldn’t be real. “Truly?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“No! No, of course not!”

“Good. Do what you have to. Give her flowers, sell her whatever she wants — as long as it’s safe, of course. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes!” He was afraid to breathe, afraid to blink, afraid that any wrong move might dissipate this fantasy come true. “Yes, of course I can!”

“Do you think she’ll come in again?”

“She said she would…” Doubt crept in — humans could lie so easily — but no, she wouldn’t deceive him, not after accepting his gift, not after giving her name. “I’m sure she will.”

“Dear Ray. You’ve done so well. If you catch up on your work, you may earn a reward after all.”

The words of praise filled his heart. He had pleased his Queen. “Thank you, your Majesty! I’ll do everything you ask!”

“Of course you will.” She smiled sweetly. “And I’ll be watching.”

Before he could say another word, she gestured dramatically and disappeared in a whirl of mint-green smoke.

Ray’s heart was pounding. Slowly, he breathed in and out, trying to calm his racing pulse. He had to do well. He had to do everything. He was allowed to see Charlotte, and he couldn’t do anything to mess that up. In his entire life, as far back as he could remember, nothing this wonderful had ever happened to him. He’d hold onto this blessing with everything he had.

He’d do whatever was necessary to see her again.


	3. White Heather

There was no time to stop and watch the people today. Too many orders, too much to do. And it had to get done. One after another, he put together bouquets, baskets, wreaths, every order that came in. He had to please his Queen. She was letting him see Charlotte. If he wasn’t useful, she might take that away. But if he did a good job, if his Queen was happy…

Maybe he’d get to see Charlotte even more. Maybe he’d even get to see her outside of the shop. To take her to the woods, the mountains, the river… it seemed too much to hope for. Could he ever be good enough for that? And would she… could she ever… want the same thing?

Ray worked as hard and as fast as he could. Everything had to be perfect. It needed to be just right—

The sound of the door opening snapped him out of his thoughts, and his head shot up.

At the opposite end of the room, Charlotte stood in the doorway, looking around at the blooming greenery, a small bag in her hand. Her eyes fell on him where he stood behind his counter, and a shy grin spread across her face.

His heart jumped into his throat. He’d made her smile. She was happy to see him.

Pulse racing, he set down the flowers he was working with and stepped out from behind the counter. She approached him hesitantly, fiddling with the bag she held.

“You really did come.” The words escaped him in a breath.

She gave a small, nervous laugh. “Of course. I said I would.”

“I’m glad. I’m so glad.”

Her smile grew wider, and she ducked her head. “Thank you for the flower yesterday.”

That was nothing he deserved gratitude for. The thought that she had something he’d given her filled him with happiness. “Thank you for accepting it.”

“Um… I brought you something. I don’t know if you like it, but I stopped at the coffee shop on the corner, and their strawberry cake is really good.” She held up the bag she was holding. “Do… do you want a piece?”

He felt like his chest was full of helium. “You got me cake?”

“Ha… yeah, I did.”

Cake. Not even bread and honey, but actual cake. “For — for me?”

“Yes. I thought you might like it.”

How could she be so kind to him? To give him such a gift — she must want something in return. There was no other explanation.

Whatever it was, she could have it.

She shifted her weight. “Do you? Like strawberry cake?”

“I love it!” he said quickly. Curses, he’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he’d forgotten to answer. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

She smiled at him again — gods, that smile! He couldn’t stop himself from beaming back at her. “I can’t believe you brought me cake.”

She ducked her head again. “I was thinking of you. Actually, I thought—” She took a deep breath and met his eyes. “I got some for myself, too. I thought maybe we could eat together? Do you have a break or something coming up?”

A break? He didn’t get breaks, but — “I have time for you.” It still didn’t seem real, but his Queen had said so. She wanted him to spend time with this beautiful mortal. He could stop his work— eat cake with her— talk with her—

“Really?” Her grin split her face. “That’s great!”

* * *

 

They sat on the counter, legs hanging over the edge, eating cake out of boxes in their laps as Charlotte told him all about herself. She was the founder and main coordinator for a small, private fundraising association, where her primary responsibility was recruiting guests for charity balls. He’d never heard of such a thing. An entire organization dedicated to helping others? And Charlotte had created it. She devoted herself to making the world better. He’d never imagined a being so full of generosity, and if he could have imagined it, he could never have dreamed that such kindness would be bestowed upon him.

And yet… here she was. In his shop. With him.

He wondered how long it would be before she lost interest in him. He hoped it would be a very long time. He hoped he had years and years.

Fascinated, he asked her more questions about herself, and got more answers, even though he didn’t always understand them. She was twenty-three years old, she told him. Ray didn’t really know what that meant in terms of human ages, but she seemed to be on the young end of adulthood.

“What about you, Ray? How old are you?”

Oh. _Oh_.

He didn’t actually know, and even if he did, he was sure he couldn’t tell her. But he only remembered the last year of his life, when his Queen had taken him in, a lowly brownie, and given him a purpose. Everything before that was an empty void in his mind that only gave him headaches when he reached for the memories.

Charlotte grinned. “Wait, no, I’ll guess. Um… twenty-one?”

“Yes,” he agreed quickly. “Twenty-one.”

“Really? I wasn’t sure. You have a sort of… ageless quality to you.” She coughed, hiding her head. “Ah, sorry. That’s really weird, right?”

“No, that’s — it’s probably true.”

“How long have you worked at this shop?”

“About a year.”

She bit her lip. “I was worried that you might not be here if I came back today. That it might be your day off or something.”

“I don’t have time off. I’m here all the time.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped. “How can you not have time off?”

Oh. He’d said something wrong.

“Is this your shop? Do you own it?”

“Own it?” The idea surprised him. “No, of course not. But I’m sort of… I work for someone important to me.”

“They must be _very_ important to you if you work round the clock every day for them.”

How could he explain it? “Yes. But I like being here. I like the flowers.”

That seemed to distract her, and she smiled shyly. “I can see it on your face when you talk about them. You must really love them.”

“They speak to me, in a way. Each of them has a meaning, and together they send a message. And…” He hesitated. No one had ever understood how he felt before, but maybe Charlotte... “They’re beautiful. They brighten up the world just by existing.” He looked at her, at the warmth gleaming in her eyes, and said without thinking, “Like you.”

Her eyes went wide. Oh. Oh, no. He shouldn’t have said that. It was too much.

_Stupid flower boy_ , sneered the Voice in his head, startling him.

He hadn’t heard the Voice in a while. _Go away_ , he told it, forcing it back as hard as he could. It laughed as it faded away, but the damage was done. He knew the Voice was right. He was stupid. He was a moron. What was he even thinking, trying to talk to a woman like her?

“Thank you.” Charlotte looked up at him through her lashes, oblivious to his inner turmoil. “You’re like that, too.”

Wait — what?

He blinked, trying to clear his head. “I don’t think I heard you right.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “What you just said about me — you’re like that, too. The world is a brighter place around you.”

His mouth fell open, and he had to make an effort to close it. “Really?” he croaked, and cleared his throat. “You mean that?”

His head was spinning, overwhelmed. Impossible that she felt that way. Impossible that she enjoyed his presence that much.

“Of course.” She smiled shyly. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Those words sent him reeling in an entirely different way. He already believed that she was honest with him, but an outright declaration like that—

He just barely found his voice. “I can trust you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you promise?”

She tilted her head, considering. He liked that she was taking the promise seriously. He had heard that humans often made promises without thinking.

“Yes,” she said, after a moment. “I don’t like to tell lies, and I don’t think lying is necessary. And especially with you — Yes. That’s an easy promise to make.”

Easy, she said. He didn’t want to disbelieve her. But — “Don’t all humans lie?”

She chuckled softly and looked over his shoulder. “I’m not saying I’ve never lied before. But I prefer to live my life in a way that makes it unnecessary. Even little white lies, the kind that are supposed to make people feel better — there’s usually something positive to say that’s honest. And a kind way to say the negative things that need to be said.”

Knowing her, that made sense — for other people, other humans. But him, he was worthless. Small. Unimportant. And yet she was here, promising him her honesty. The question escaped him automatically. “Why would you care about being kind to _me_?”

A stricken look crossing her face, she met his eyes. “People have not been very kind to you in your life, have they?”

He looked away, ashamed. “I haven’t earned kindness very often.”

“Earn? Kindness is something you feel you have to _earn?”_

“Of course.” He was growing confused. “If I don’t deserve it, if I’m not useful—”

“No!”

She sounded angry, and Ray froze, unsure of what he’d done to upset her but hoping he could make it right. It must be true, what the Voice said. He was a moron—

Charlotte stopped and took a breath, and when she continued, her tone was softer. “Useful has nothing to do with it. You earn kindness by being yourself, not because you have a use.”

He blinked, trying to process that.

“Ray, I — I’m kind because I like you, and because you’re kind to me.”

She… liked him? She thought he was kind?

Just being himself, could that really be enough?

When her hand moved, his eyes flicked towards it, and he watched in disbelief as she slowly reached for him. Her fingers came to rest on the back of his hand, and a shiver went through him. She was touching him, skin on skin. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched him just for the sake of touching him. If it had ever happened.

“I like you a lot.” Her words were almost a whisper.

He could scarcely breathe, afraid this beautiful spell would break at any moment. “You like me? Really?”

“I told you I wouldn’t lie.”

He had thought he had no breath, but suddenly it all came out in a rush. “I like you, too. I like you so much.”

Her face lit up. Gods, she looked so happy. Joyous. Like the time he’d seen her in the rain. He’d hoped and hoped to see that smile again. But this time, that joy was because of him.

He was dreaming. This had to be a dream.

Her fingers wrapped around his hand, and instinctively, he grabbed onto them, holding them tight. “I — no one has ever said that to me before.”

Her face went from happy to horrified. No, oh no. Immediately he wanted to take the words back. He’d screwed up again.

“What? Never?”

“I —”

“No one ever said they like you?”

“Not — not like that.” His Queen had complimented his work before, told him she cared about him, but she’d never said she _liked_ him. And when Charlotte said it, it meant something different… “I’ve never liked anyone the way I like you, either.”

For some reason, she seemed to relax a bit at that. “Oh. You mean _that_ kind of like.”

He didn’t understand exactly what she meant, but he felt too stupid to ask. Gods, he was messing this all up, saying all the wrong things. His heart was beating fast, too fast. Quickly, he pulled his hand away and jumped down from the counter. He needed space. If he didn’t step back, he’d do something horribly, terribly wrong and chase her away forever.

“Ray? Are you — is something wrong?”

“No! Nothing’s wrong. I just—” He cast his mind around for an excuse and found something to latch onto. “I have something for you.”

He scurried behind the counter to retrieve the simple bouquet he’d made for her. Just a collection of white heather tied together with a ribbon. Elaborate arrangements were beautiful, but he always liked to be able to appreciate a flower simply for itself without distraction. The meaning of a single flower was clear and uncomplicated. Besides — for no reason he could name, he had a feeling she would like the simplicity, too.

The smile on her face when he held it out to her made him want to give her flowers every day for the rest of his life.

Just like the last time, her fingers brushed his as she took the flowers, and he felt warmth flooding his cheeks. Lifting the bouquet to her nose, she inhaled their fragrance, then murmured, “Thank you. This is beautiful.”

“It’s heather. White heather.” _For protection and wishes come true._

If only that were actual magic and not just the flower’s meaning. But he was too weak. Not strong enough to cast an actual spell. A brownie could clean and do menial tasks. That was all he was good for, nothing more.

He certainly wasn’t good enough for Charlotte. And yet, by some miracle, she was here, gifting him with her presence.

The sound of thin, flat music startled him out of his thoughts. Charlotte frowned and reached into her pocket, pulling out a rectangular object. Oh, a phone. He’d seen plenty of them carried by humans outside, but here in the shop, its proximity was jarring.

“Shit,” she swore, then jabbed her finger at its surface a few times before sticking it back in her pocket. “I’m so sorry. I forgot I was supposed to meet a friend. I’m so late.”

She was leaving. He lifted his hand to his heart, doing his best to push aside the heavy feeling there. “Oh. Will you come back?”

“Yes.” Her answer was immediate. “Tomorrow? Same time?”

She wanted to see him again. It hardly seemed possible, but it was true. “Yes, same time.” He wished she could come earlier, but he was pushing his luck already, asking her to see him again at all. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being here. For letting me spend time with you.”

“Oh.” A blush creeping over her face, she bit her lip and smiled. “I should thank you for that.”

He couldn’t look away from her face. She wasn’t looking away, either, or making any move to leave. Was it possible she didn’t want to go any more than he wanted her to?

“Okay,” she said finally. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” The word came out as a breath.

With one last smile, she turned and headed for the door, disappearing through it. As soon as she was gone, the shop felt empty, barren. Unbearably so.

She’d be back. Tomorrow. He’d see her tomorrow. Reluctantly, he returned to his orders, his mind focused on choosing what flower he would give her then.


	4. Yellow Poppy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the loveliest readers. Thank you all for your encouraging comments and your kudos.
> 
> My main reference book for fairy mythology is _An Encyclopedia of Fairies_ by Katharine Briggs, which is incredible and so comprehensive and highly recommended. Since fairy lore varies and contradicts itself, I will use my best judgement on which aspects should apply in this setting in order to tell the best story I can.
> 
> Thank you to every one of you for reading. 
> 
> **Daoine sidhe is pronounced _theena shee_.

Head still in the clouds, Charlotte stepped into the arcade and searched for Luciel, spotting him quickly. He was bent over the pinball machine, face scrunched in concentration, jabbing madly at the buttons. Obviously she had a few minutes before he would notice her, and she didn’t want to interrupt his focus, so she leaned back against a game machine behind him to wait.

Immediately, he said, “You’re late.”

She started. “How did you know I was here?”

“I just did.” Abandoning his game, he turned to face her, examining her suspiciously.

“Luciel. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because you’re late.”

“I’m… sorry?”

He waved a hand, dismissing her apology. “You’re never late.”

True, she was usually pretty punctual, but—  “Everyone is late sometimes.”

“Not you.” Raising an eyebrow, he crossed his arms. “Spill.”

“What?”

“Something happened! Spill!”

Oh.

“You met someone, right? Nothing gets past me!”

She gaped at him. “How did you know?”

He lowered his voice to a lilting whisper. “I used my super secret superpowers and harnessed the power of my mind to pick up your brainwaves. Also, you’re carrying a bouquet.”

Oh. The flowers. Her mind was so distracted, she’d forgotten she still held the heather Ray gave her. Cheeks getting warm, she cursed the fact that she blushed so easily.

Luciel didn’t miss her reaction, and he grinned mischievously. “Oooooooooh. This must be good. Tell me!”

“No. If I tell you, you’ll just give me a hard time.”

“Yup!”

She stuck out her tongue.

“But tell me anyway,” he cajoled. “You know you want to…”

“I—”

Why was she afraid to talk about Ray? A part of her was dying to tell someone, to have someone to share her happiness with. But there was another part, a completely irrational part, that feared acknowledging him would make him disappear in a puff of smoke.

“Woman or man?” Luciel prodded.

No, talking about Ray was a bad idea. Logic be damned, she knew it was true. And yet — for some reason, Luciel felt safe. Even though he would tease her to no end… she felt secure with him knowing. She wouldn’t tell anyone else, but she could tell Luciel.

She let out a breath. “Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

He spoke more solemnly than she expected. “On my honor as a computer god.”

“Okay.” Decision made. “A man. His name is Ray.”

Luciel grinned mischievously. “Raaaaay, is it?”

Her answering scowl made him laugh. “I’m starving,” he declared. “Let’s go to the food court before we pick out your new laptop.”

 

* * *

 

Ten minutes later, sitting behind a pile of junk food, Luciel popped a french fry in his mouth and said, “Okay. Details.”

She didn’t quite know where to start. “I — his name is Ray.”

“Yes. You said that.”

“He works in a flower shop.”

“Oh! Romantic!” Luciel waggled his eyebrows.

“It _is_ romantic.” She gave him a mock glare, then glanced at her bouquet, now sitting in a paper cup filled with water. “He gave me flowers twice now.”

“Is that all?” He clucked in disapproval. “If he works in a flower shop, he should give you flowers every time he sees you!”

She didn’t like hearing Ray criticized, especially for something unfair. “I’ve only seen him twice — so he has.”

Luciel’s jaw dropped.

When he didn’t say anything, she started to feel weird. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Only twice?”

“Uh, yeah? So? What’s strange about that?”

“What’s strange is that you’re seriously googly-eyed over this guy. You look like you’re in dreamland. It’s not like you. I thought you must have been seeing him secretly for weeks.”

Oh. Now that he said it, she supposed it was strange. Just as she’d said before, she had never liked anyone the way she did him. And she barely knew him…

But at the same time, he wore his emotions clear as day on his face. It was impossible to look at him and not see the person that he was inside. And he was someone that she wanted to know more. She wanted to know everything about him. Of that much she was sure.

It felt right to her, but... maybe she was wrong? Maybe she was being rash. “Do you think it’s bad that I just met him?” she asked Luciel.

“Love at first sight?” He put his hand over his heart dramatically. “Of course not! It’s a beautiful thing. You and Ray, walking down the aisle—”

“Cut it out, will you?”

“Picking out china—”

“I’m serious here!”

“Making little Charlottes and Rays—”

_“Luciel!”_

He sighed and dropped his hand, suddenly serious. “I think you should be careful. I think there are dangerous people out there. I think that I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Ray would never hurt her; she was sure of that. And yet, as soon as she thought it, a shiver went up her spine. He wouldn’t hurt her, but there was something… odd…

Luciel’s voice shattered her thought, chasing the feeling away. “But I also think that I want you to be happy. You look really happy today, Char. So be careful, but follow your heart. Okay?”

Embarrassed, she looked down at her food. “Thank you. I will.”

“And name your firstborn Luciel! It’s a great name!”

She flicked a fry across the table at him. “I’ll think about it.”

Luciel caught the fry out of the air and grinned. “You know, as your friend, I think I should check this Ray character out before you see him again.”

“Oh, no. I don’t need you threatening my—” She stopped. What was Ray to her? Her… date? Not a boyfriend, though the word made her heart skip a beat. He was — he was—

“What flower shop does he work at?”

Oh.

In the excitement of meeting Ray, she’d all but forgotten what started it all. No one else could see that shop. At the reminder, the mystery came flooding back. How was she going to explain this without looking crazy?

Before she could come up with an answer, Luciel tilted his head. “Is it that one on Middle Street?”

...wait. What?

“Middle Street?”

“Yeah, Middle Street, near your office. That little cottage-looking place. What’s it called again? Ah! Garden of Paradise, right?”

She gaped at him. “How did you know?”

“It was a logical guess. Someplace close to your work that you have to pass by walking home.”

“No, but — you can see it?”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt extremely stupid. He gave her an odd look. “Of course I can see it. It’s kind of hard to miss, don’t you think?”

“But—” Her ears were burning now; she had to explain. “Nobody but me can see the place. Yoosung, Jaehee, Jumin, Zen — none of them can. They see the buildings on either side and nothing in between. When I try to point it out, they look at me like I’m crazy.”

He laughed. “I think they’re messing with you, Char. Sounds like they did a good job of it, too. Damn.” He pouted. “Why didn’t they let me in on the joke? I could have done so much with that!”

Was that it? Her friends were playing a prank on her?

Ha. Of course they were. Suddenly she felt ridiculous for ever thinking otherwise. There couldn’t be an invisible flower shop in the middle of a city. She must be an idiot for not realizing that from the beginning.

And yet, something nagged at her. Something was wrong.

“Come on.” Luciel slurped the last of his soda and stood, grabbing his tray full of empty food wrappers. “Let’s go get that computer for you. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get exactly what you need.”

Pushing her thoughts aside, she rose as well, carefully cradling her cup of flowers. “Remember that what I need is _not_ a gaming machine with bells and whistles.”

He flashed her a grin. “But let me just show you a few things—”

“No.”

His laugh was contagious, and as they walked off, Charlotte let her worries dissipate. She would see Ray again tomorrow, and that was what mattered.

 

* * *

 

Order after order, Ray’s hands never stopped moving. The work was endless. Setting aside a completed wreath of poisonous flowers, he reached for a yellow poppy. _Wealth, success._ If this boutonniere went to someone powerful enough, it would make an excellent charm.

More flowers, more designs, more work. One of the Queen’s attendants came and took the waiting arrangements, delivering a new list of orders. No time to stop. No time to watch the mortals passing by; no time to look at the sky. His nimble hands worked and worked… and his mind never left Charlotte.

 

* * *

 

The daoine sidhe in the brown silk suit pinned the yellow poppy to his chest, then folded his hands. His smile was friendly, good-natured — a smile that had gained the trust of millions over the years. “I’m so glad you came to me,” he said to the pixy in front of him. “What have you seen?”

“It’s V.” The little fairy fluttered his wings. “He changed his routine.”

“Really?” The sidhe leaned forward. “How so?”

“He went to a downtown office building. I couldn’t go in, or he would have noticed me, but I can tell you where it was.”

“An office building?” Concern crossed the daoine sidhe’s face. “An office building is a big place. How will I find out who he visited?”

“I think I know.” The pixy’s chest puffed up. “I waited outside for hours after he left, looking for clues. And then a woman came out.”

“Was she fae?”

“No. But she’s touched something fae. I can tell.”

“That could mean anything. It could have been accidental.”

“Right after V left the building?”

“Ah. True. Very true.”

Little wings fluttered faster. “I did well, then?”

“You did wonderfully. This woman just might be one of the two we’re looking for.” He slid a saucer of cream across the table, and the pixy fell upon it eagerly. “Would you mind doing me another favor, my friend? It would help me immensely if someone would follow this woman, see where she goes. I’d like you to be the one to do it. I need someone I can trust.”

The pixy’s wings moved so fast they could scarcely be seen, and he surged upward in excitement. “Of course I will! I’ll bring back so much news!”

The daoine sidhe smiled that warm, genuine smile again. “I’m sure you will. I’m counting on it.”

 


	5. Camellia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not yet acknowledged and thanked Drallak for sharing their insight and ideas, and that is a terrible oversight. They write lovely Saeran fic, and everyone should check them out.

It was only her third visit to the flower shop, but Charlotte was sure its beauty would always overwhelm her. The sun was high in the sky as she hesitated outside, taking in the bright blooms in the flower boxes, the blackened bronze accents on the wooden door, the air surrounding her that was somehow lighter than everywhere else. Every time she got close, she felt she’d stepped into a fairy tale.

She thought of Ray, at home amidst the flowers, and suddenly she couldn’t wait anymore to see him. Grabbing the large handle, she swung the door open and stepped inside.

The sweet floral scent swept over her, and she took a moment to gaze at the brilliant colors surrounding her before searching the room for Ray’s familiar white hair and magenta coat. When her eyes fell on him, her heart leapt — and then a moment later, she froze.

He was not alone in the shop. At the back of the room, he stood by his counter, facing a beautiful young lady — who he didn’t appear to notice at all. His eyes were fixed on Charlotte, and a small smile spread across his face.

“Are you listening to me?” The girl before him turned her head, and a grimace crossed her pretty features. “Oh. I didn’t know this establishment allowed  _ her _ kind.”

Shock hit Charlotte like a punch in the gut. What  _ kind? _ She had every right to be here, just as much as anyone — didn’t she?

Ray tore his eyes away from Charlotte to narrow them at the girl. “She’s not your concern.” His voice was strong in a way she’d never heard before. “Your order has been placed. It will be delivered when it’s ready.”

The young woman smirked. “I know what’s going on here. I’m old enough to understand these things—”

“You understand nothing, and if you say another word, I’ll bring this matter to  _ her _ .”

Her. Who was “her”?

“There’s no need to get defensive.” Flicking her brown hair over her shoulder, the girl turned back towards Charlotte and approached her deliberately. 

Charlotte’s heart jumped into her throat, and an urge to run came over her. She shoved it aside. She did not want to face this rude person, but she wouldn’t show fear, either.

“Hello.” The young woman stood before her, smiling girlishly. “They call me Echo. What’s your name?”

Charlotte didn’t want to answer her, but she didn’t know what to say. Her mind cast around for a solution, and—

“I told you she’s  _ not your business _ .” Ray’s harsh tone startled her. “Leave. Now.”

Huffing indignantly, the girl pushed past Charlotte. A moment later, the door creaked and then thudded shut.

As soon as the girl was gone, Ray let out a deep breath, and his hard mask melted. “I’m so sorry. You’re early; I didn’t know you would be early.”

“Oh — yes, it’s Saturday. I have the day off, and…”  _ And I didn’t want to wait any longer to see you.  _ “Is it a bad time? Should I come back later?”

“No!” he said quickly, raising his closed hand to his heart in a gesture that she was coming to associate with him. “Please don’t go. I’m so glad you’re here.”

His earnest gaze did funny things to her stomach. “I’m happy to see you, too.”

“Really?” A shy smile crept over his face, and he ducked his head. “I’m sorry about her.” He gestured towards the door Echo had just disappeared through. “Don’t ever tell anyone your name, okay? To hu— to people out there, it’s okay, but not in here, not in this shop. Especially not your full name. Don’t even tell your full name to me, okay?”

Her head was spinning. “What do I say to people?”

He hesitated. “Tell them something about what you do, not who you are. Um… you said you’re the main coordinator for your — your charity organization?” The word “charity” sounded strange on his tongue.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Main Coordinator… MC. You can tell them to call you Coordinator or MC. How is that, is that okay?”

His desperation scared her, so out of place amidst this seeming fantasy she’d stumbled into, and yet not out of place at all. “Ray. Is it dangerous here? Are you in danger?”

“Me?” He blinked. “You’re worried for me?”

“Yes. If something isn’t safe—”

“I’m safe. And I’ll make sure everything stays safe.” His mouth set into a determined line.

Instinctively, she reached for his hand. He started at the contact, wide eyes flicking down to their joined hands before rising once more to her face in awe. Her pulse quickened under his gaze.

“You can tell me if something’s wrong,” she said quietly. “I’ll help you in any way I can.”

He started to speak, but no sound came out. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “You care for me. Thank you.”

Unsure what to say, she squeezed his fingers tighter.

“You can’t—” He stopped and started again. “I don’t need help. I’m okay.”

She didn’t quite believe him, but she couldn’t argue, either. “Will you tell me if that changes?”

“It’s not going to change.” He tore his eyes away. “I have something for you.” Pulling back his hand, he scurried towards his counter. 

He hadn’t answered her question. That was a bad sign. A multitude of bad signs tumbled through her thoughts, things she had picked up in the last two days. He’d never been told he was liked before. He was shocked by a promise of honesty. His eyes had perpetual dark circles. Every time she said something kind, he responded with utter surprise.

What had he been through in his life? What was he still going through?

She followed him towards the counter, and he met her halfway back, holding a single pink flower in his gloved hands. “For you. A camellia.”

Her heart thumped at the hopeful way he was looking at her, and her worries were pushed to the background of her thoughts. This kind, gentle man who gave so easily and expected so little — she hardly knew what she’d done to deserve his attention, but she hoped she would never lose it.

As she reached out to take the flower, an impulse seized her, and she wrapped her fingers around his hand instead. His breath hitched, and his lips parted. “Charlotte,” he breathed.

He’d never said her name before. The syllables pronounced in his soft, reverent tones were like music, sending a pleasant shiver through her. He was so beautiful, looking at her like that, like he was starved for her. Starved, that was it exactly. He was starved for affection.

She took a small step forward. “Ray.”

Suddenly his expression changed, from awestruck to afraid. Oh. Maybe she was going too fast. Gently, she removed the flower from his hands and watched as something like dismay washed over his face.

Had she done the wrong thing? Self-conscious and not knowing what else to do, Charlotte turned her attention to the camellia, lifting it to her nose to inhale its fragrance. “It’s beautiful.”

“You like it?” He let out a breath. “I’m glad. I’m so glad.”

Lowering the flower, she raised her eyes to meet his startlingly green ones. “Do you have time to talk today?”

A sweet smile lit up his face. “I have time for you.”

 

* * *

 

The last time Charlotte sat next to Ray on the counter, she’d talked about herself. But this time, she wanted to hear him talk, and after a few gentle questions, she was surprised to see him open up eagerly. He didn’t talk about himself exactly, but he described the things he loved. He spoke of the beauty of the open sky, waxing poetic about the shades of blue, the softness of the clouds, the colors of the sunrise. He described the joy of running through a field of flowers, or dipping his toes into a lake, or sitting in the shade of a large tree. As he talked, she felt as if she were there, experiencing these wonders with him.

He liked ice cream, she learned; the way it melted on his tongue, the cold enveloped in the heat of his mouth. He loved the almost endless variety of flavors it came in, each one new and exciting and different. Most of all, he loved the pure indulgence of it, how the sweetness served no purpose but to give joy.

He stopped after saying that, looking at her intently, a look suddenly filled with such longing that it made her breath catch and her fingers tighten around the stem of her camellia.

When he didn’t speak again, she scrambled to find words. “H-have you always loved ice cream?”

His voice was soft. “For as long as I can remember.”

“I think we should eat ice cream together next time.”

“...us? Together?”

“Yes.” Nervous, Charlotte lowered her face to the petals of the flower. This was it. She finally had an excuse to ask the big question. “Um… there’s an ice cream shop not too far from here that makes the best sundaes. Would you like to go there together? Maybe… tonight, after the shop closes?”

He froze, eyes going wide, and said nothing. 

Oh. She’d screwed up, said the wrong thing. She shouldn’t have tried to ask him out. Warmth flooding her cheeks, she fixed her eyes on her camellia. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, I — I can’t—” His desperation made her look up at him again, at the terror written on his features “—but you’ll come back here, right? You won’t leave me, will you?”

The very idea of not seeing him again was horrible. “No, I won’t leave you. I’ll come back. I plan to keep coming back for as long as you want me to.”

Uncertain hope shone from his face. “Really? What if it’s a long time?”

“I’m hoping it’s a long time.”

“I… I think it may be too long.”

“I doubt that.”

With a shuddering sigh, he broke eye contact, looking down at her hand where it rested on her knee. The fingers of his own hand twitched, and his breath came faster.

Did he want to hold her hand? She wanted that, too, but he’d looked so scared the last time she touched him. Why he’d looked afraid, she didn’t know, but she didn’t want to push too far. This time, the action would have to come from him. 

His fingers twitched again.

He had to be the one to decide, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t help him out. Nervously, she whispered, “You can hold my hand if you want.”

Immediately his hand was on hers, clasping it tightly. His other hand came up to join the first, and he lifted her fingers to his lips, eyes squeezed shut as he pressed a hard kiss to her knuckles, once, twice, three times. “I keep thinking this is a dream,” he said against her skin. “I keep wondering when I’ll wake up.”

Her breath caught. He’d kissed her hand, he’d  _ kissed _ it. She hadn’t been ready for that. God, his lips were still touching her. They were so soft, so warm. 

Lightheaded, she found her voice to reply. “I feel the same way. I’m afraid you’ll disappear if I blink sometimes.”

His hands tightened around hers. “I don’t want to disappear. I don’t want you to disappear, either.”

The urge to wrap her arms around him was overwhelming. She wanted to be close to him, so much closer than she was, but she was afraid to move too fast, to go too far, to take what he didn’t want to give. In a trembling voice, she asked, “Ray, can I touch you? Can I… hold you?”

His eyes shot open. “Yes. Yes, yes,  _ please _ .”

No more words were necessary. Quickly setting down her camellia, she threw both arms around him, pulling him tight against her. Yes, this was right; this was how they should be, together just like this. With a small noise, he let his head fall onto her shoulder, pressing his face to her neck. His hands slid around her waist to press hard against her back, holding her in place. Not that she would move. He felt so warm, so good in her arms, as if they were puzzle pieces slotted to fit together. 

She never wanted to let him go.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was broken. “I know I shouldn’t do this…”

“What? Why?”

He didn’t reply, only heaved a sigh and held her tighter.

“I’m so happy to be with you, Ray. You make me so happy.”

“...I… I make you happy?”

“So much.”

He pulled his head back, just enough to look at her face, only inches away. Tears were smeared on his cheeks, she noticed with alarm. “You don’t have to say that. I know I’m an imposition—”

Her heart broke. “Why would you ever think such a thing?”

He bit his lip and looked down.

“I told you I wouldn’t lie. I’m happy when I’m with you, Ray. I — I never knew I could be this happy with someone.”

Without warning, his lips surged forward to press against her own, hard enough to push her back a few inches. Clumsy, awkward, but the feel of his mouth on hers electrified her, sending her heart racing. It was perfect. The very clumsiness of it was perfect. 

The kiss lasted barely a moment before he gasped and jerked backwards. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have— no, oh no. I’m sorry.”

Dizzy, she blinked, trying to keep up with his change in emotion. He was looking at her with fear in his eyes, and suddenly she understood where the fear came from. It was only rejection he was frightened of. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

He moved as if to pull away further, and she grabbed onto the fabric of his jacket. He stilled, eyes widening.

Slowly, careful not to startle him, she leaned forward, gauging his reaction. His eyes flicked down to her mouth, and his lips parted. God, he looked beautiful like that. Reassured that he was okay, she closed the remaining distance, touching her lips to his. Just a small kiss, soft, sweet, undemanding. She pulled back seconds later, opening her eyes to see his own eyes still shut, his lips still parted, breath coming in pants. His eyelids fluttered open to reveal a hazy, unfocused look in his green eyes.

“I like it,” she whispered. “I like kissing you.”

Eyes closing again, he let out a soft moan and lowered his forehead to hers. “I wish you could stay here forever.”

That sounded pretty wonderful to her.

“Oh.  _ Oh.” _ He moved back suddenly, his face stricken. “We can’t. I have to work. I have to work! I have orders waiting. If I don’t finish them—” He bit his lip, then started again. “Can you come back tomorrow? You can, right?”

Her head was in a whirl. “Yes.” Wild horses couldn’t keep her away.

He heaved a sigh, his relief almost palpable in the air. “What time will you come? I’ll make sure everything is right for you.”

“You don’t have to—” She stopped, realizing she didn’t want to run into another Echo, and decided not to argue the point. “Um — noon? The same as today?”

“Yes.” His brilliant smile went straight to her heart. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

It was so hard to pull away. Leaving him felt nearly impossible. She never wanted to move from his arms, but somehow she forced herself to let go, pushing down the ache in her heart and grabbing her flower as she slid off the counter. He got down, too, and together they slowly and silently made their way to the door, shoulders brushing together as they walked.

Hand resting on his heart, he opened the door for her, examining her with an expression so lonely it broke her heart. Impulsively, she leaned forward quickly and pressed a kiss against his cheek, and when she pulled back she was thrilled to see she’d wiped that look entirely from his face, replacing it with one of dazed joy that probably matched her own.

“Tomorrow,” she said quietly, and then left before she lost her resolve.

 

* * *

 

The pixy hovered above the flower box, waiting as patiently as he could. The windows were spelled somehow, preventing him from looking in, but he was sure the human had gone in here. Well, ninety percent sure. Maybe eighty. She couldn’t have really seen the shop, could she? She was human…

“You’re following her.”

A voice behind him made the pixy rise a foot in the air, and he spun around to see a fae with long brown hair wearing a black wraparound shirt, a hint of purple peeking out the top. A black jacket with leopard print lining was draped over his shoulders, and he was watching the pixy coolly, arms crossed over his chest.

Quickly, the pixy tried to gather his wits. “Ah, following who?” he bluffed.

“The woman who walked into the department store next door hours ago.”

The department store…?

Doubt crept through the pixy’s mind, like tendrils of smoke snaking through his consciousness. Had he seen the woman go in the flower shop? He thought he had, but then, he’d been so far away…

_ No! _ With a start, he realized what was happening. “This is a spell!”

“A spell for what?” The man reached for his jacket pocket and removed a pack of cigarettes. “What would be the point of a spell to protect a human going into a regular human establishment?”

Yes, that was right… There was no point in a spell like that… 

But something felt wrong…

Behind him, the pixy heard a noise, like a door opening and closing. He had a feeling he should look… but why…?

The man in the leopard print jacket lit his cigarette.

“You’re right,” the pixy said slowly. “There’s nothing to see here. I… I should go.”

Uncertainly, he flew away, berating himself for having wasted so much time.

 

* * *

 

Charlotte arrived home to an apartment that felt especially empty. It was always a bit lonely, but today, it felt almost desolate. Sinking onto her sofa, she took a quick glance at the RFA app. Nobody was on. She’d check her missed chats later. First, there was something she wanted to find out.

Within seconds she’d pulled up her new ebook, and she quickly flipped through until she got to the Cs.  _ Cactus, caladium, calendula _ — there it was.  _ Camellia, pink.  _

Her breath caught.

_ I long for you. _

Charlotte clutched her flower close to her chest. Noon tomorrow seemed a very long time away.


	6. Begonias

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As part of an art trade, Rainylune drew _amazing_ art of this chapter! [Please look, I'm in love with it, it's so beautiful.](https://rainylune.tumblr.com/post/175919605083/youre-here-ive-got-you-nothing-else-needed)

This time, when his Queen materialized before him in her cloud of mint green smoke, Ray wasn’t taken by surprise. However, the first words she spoke nearly knocked him over.

“Your human is in danger.”

He dropped the begonias he was holding. They fell to the floor, scattering in every direction.  _ Beware, beware. _

“What… did you say?”

“Your human,” she repeated in an oh-so-patient tone, “the one you’ve been playing with. She’s in danger.”

Danger. No. No. Charlotte.

“How—” he croaked “—why—?”

“She’s been targeted by V.” His Queen lifted her chin imperiously. “You’ve seen her again since last we spoke, I assume. I gave you instructions, and—” she paused “— yes, I can sense something. She was here?”

Danger. _ Danger _ . His brain scrambled to keep up his Queen, his thoughts still stuck on that one word. “Yes, your Majesty. Twice more.”

“Good. You’ve done well, Ray.”

“But — V—” That villain couldn’t get near Charlotte. He couldn’t. “What does V want with her? Why would he hurt her?”

Her Majesty sighed. “Why does V hurt anyone? Because he’s cruel and uncaring. Because he can use people and toss them aside, and a human that can see through glamour is a useful pawn.”

Panic ripped through his body. “He can’t get his hands on her!” Mind spinning, he tried to think. Where would she be now? He’d never been out in the human city, but— “I have to find her. I have to protect her.”

“And how will you do that? A weakling like you?” His Queen clucked her tongue in disapproval that made him wince. 

_ Idiot, _ said the Voice, echoing through his head from somewhere deep within its recesses.  _ Moron.  _ I _ could do it. _

The Voice again. No, not now. It wasn’t important, not with Charlotte’s life on the line. “I have to try. I can’t leave her alone, not with V—” He choked on his words, unable to continue. If V touched her— 

His mind refused to process what might happen.

“I have to try,” he said again.

“Ray.” His Queen’s voice had gone hard, and he looked at her to see ice in her green eyes. “You are not to leave this shop.” She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were gentle once more. “I have a plan, and it depends on you being here, where you belong.”

“A plan?” A tendril of hope snaked into his heart. “My Queen, what will we do? How do we stop him?”

“You seem quite worried.” She paused, examining his face. “I’m pleased to see you so invested in defeating V.”

Ray’s stomach roiled. “I hate V. I hate him.”

“Yes. But not to worry.” Her calm smile would have reassured him in any other circumstances, but now he couldn’t calm his racing heart. “Your human will come back here again, I presume?”

“Yes. She said she would come at noon today.”  _ And she wouldn’t lie _ .

“Excellent. It seems you have her well tamed.”

The word “tamed” made his skin prickle. That was wrong. She was kind and loyal, and she did things because they were right. Her very freedom was what made her loyalty so amazing. 

He never wanted Charlotte to be tamed.

His Queen went on. “That will make the next part easier. When she comes back, convince her to stay here.”

...what did she say?

Ray’s head swam. Was it possible she’d said...? He thought he’d heard the words he longed for more than anything. Charlotte, stay here. Stay. Here. 

No, it couldn’t be… “I’m sorry, my Queen, I think I heard you wrong.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “The human will have to stay in our grasp until the danger is gone. Surely you can manage that.”

She’d really said it? This was real? To have Charlotte here, all day, every day — to live with her, to share each moment with her — no, it couldn’t be real, couldn’t possibly be real—

“Do you mean it?”

“Of course.” His Queen bestowed a gracious smile on him. “And if you do a good job with her and prove you can handle a pet, you might even be able to keep her.”

Keep her. She could stay… forever?

His Queen would allow it?

It was wrong again, all wrong, the way his Queen said it. Charlotte couldn’t be a pet. She had to choose to be with him, had to choose not to leave him. But if his Queen allowed it, then it was possible…

He felt his legs give out beneath him, and he fell to his knees, crushing the begonias he’d dropped. His Queen was the most gracious, magnificent ruler in Creation. Weakly, he crawled forward to press his lips to her shoes, thankful that she allowed the gesture of worship.

“Stand up, Ray.”

Legs still shaky, he pushed himself to standing. This close, she had to bend her neck backwards to look him in the eyes. It made him want to sink to the floor again, but she had told him to stand, and he would always obey his Queen.

“Remember this.” She reached out to touch his chin with one finger, guiding it down so that his head was bowed. “I give you this gift because I love you, Ray. I’m the only one who loves you.”

“I owe you everything, your Majesty.”

“Yes.” She smiled. “You do.”

 

* * *

 

The ice cream parlor was closed. Well, of course it was closed. It was still morning — hardly ideal hours for attracting ice cream customers. It wouldn’t open until noon.

But Charlotte was supposed to see Ray at noon.

Groaning internally, she checked her phone. 11:40. She might have enough time to stop at the corner coffeehouse, get a couple of milkshakes to go. The shakes weren’t anything special, but it was better than nothing—

“Oh, they’re closed,” a pouty voice said.

Charlotte turned to see two women standing behind her, peering at the sign in the window. One had long, purple hair and carried a bag with a chain for a strap. The other was dressed more elegantly, her brown hair perfectly styled.

“I told you they would be. We shouldn’t have come here, anyway. You know the  _ other _ place has much better ice cream.”

“True. The strawberry ice cream is to die for.”

Strawberry was Ray’s favorite flavor.

“So let’s not waste any more time at this sub-par establishment.” The women turned to leave.

“Wait!” Charlotte blurted.

They looked back, noticing her for the first time.

Now that she’d spoken, she felt embarrassed. “What place are you talking about?”

The two women looked at each other, and the brunette smiled. “We can take you there, if you like.”

The other smirked. “Yes, come with us.”

Oh. She checked her phone again. 11:44.

“Is it close?”

The brunette tilted her head. “You could say that.”

“I have someplace to be at noon.”

“I’m sure you can be a little late.”

No, Ray might worry if she was late.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte said. “It’s really important that I get there on time. Maybe you could tell me the name of the place so I can find it later?”

“We don’t remember,” said the woman with the purple hair. “Come with us, and then you’ll know.”

Something was off. Something was wrong with these women. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but their smiles were too bright.

“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I really have to go.”

“That’s disappointing.” The brunette’s smile stayed on her face, but it hardened into something like a grimace. “Are you absolutely certain you won’t reconsider?”

Suddenly Charlotte realized that she was surrounded. The door to the closed ice cream shop was behind her, and the women stood in front of her, angled to block her from leaving. 

Shit.

She tensed, taking a defensive stance remembered from her high school martial arts classes. Desperately, she searched her mind, trying to remember the basics...

The woman with the purple hair lunged forward, and suddenly she wasn’t pretty anymore. Her eyes sank into her head to leave two black sockets, her skin turned gray, and her face elongated as her mouth opened wide in a scream.

Charlotte’s back thudded against the door before she’d realized she’d moved. Both women were snarling at her now, their faces inhuman and ghastly. Her fingers scrabbled for her phone, hoping she could get to the emergency call button.

**_“Stop!”_ **

The voice came out of nowhere, startling her. A turquoise light shone behind the creatures in front of her, and they shrunk in on themselves. A moment later, in two streaks of grey, they were gone, and Charlotte was blinking at the intensity of the light.

“Coordinator! Are you okay?”

That voice, where did she know it from?

The light began to fade, and a man stepped forward.

The photographer. V.

“Are you okay?” He reached for her, then dropped his hand. “Say something if you’re okay. Did those creatures hurt you?”

Charlotte found her voice, and her words shot out before she could think. “What the  _ hell _ is going on?”

V’s eyes widened, and then his shoulders slumped. “You’re okay. Good.”

Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst through her chest. “ _ How _ is this okay? What were those things?”

“They’re gwyllions. Usually, they prowl the mountains, luring travellers to their doom. They don’t belong here.” V grimaced. “Someone must have sent them.”

None of this made any sense, and V’s answers only created more questions. “Why would anyone send monsters after me?”

He didn’t answer the question, just looked at her apologetically. “I should have known better. I should have warned you to protect yourself. Should have told you to carry iron or wear a bell…”

She’d have thought the man insane had she not just seen two creatures out of a horror movie coming at her. “Wear a bell? What, like a cat?”

He winced. “Coordinator, I’m so sorry.”

_ “Who are you?” _

Grief-stricken eyes regarded her. “I — I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that.”

She gaped at him in disbelief. “What?”

“It will only put you in more danger. Please, trust me.”

She needed to sit. On shaky legs, she walked towards a bench a few feet away and sank down onto it, putting her head in her hands.

“Coordinator—”

“Why are you calling me that?”

“It’s your title. Please, listen to me. I want to protect you.”

If he didn’t start giving her answers, she was going to strangle him. “Why do I need protecting?”

“I — I can’t tell you that, either.”

“Of course you can’t.” Suddenly the whole thing struck her as hilarious, and a giggle escaped her, then another, and then she was laughing hysterically, unable to hold back.

V knelt in front of her, and when her laughter died out, she raised her head to look at him. “I don’t know how else to say this. Someone dangerous has targeted you. They know where you are and how to find you.”

Her head was spinning. “Then what do I do?”

He hesitated. “I’m sorry. You’ll have to leave your life behind.”

“What?” This couldn’t be real. “Everything?”

“Everything. Your friends, your job, your home—”

“I can’t do that!”

“You have to. For your own safety.”

He really was crazy. No, this couldn’t be happening. It had to be a dream. 

“Coordinator—”

“Even if I could do it, I have nowhere to go.”

He nodded solemnly. “I can help you with that.”

“What, like the witness protection program?” As soon as she said it, she felt stupid. This man was not talking about anything mundane. She wasn’t sure if there was anything mundane in her life anymore.

“Something like that, but I can offer more. A better life. Money, comfort, whatever you need.”

She wanted to laugh again, but she was all laughed out. “I need my friends. My family.”

V nodded in understanding, and the pain in his eyes seemed genuine. “I’m sorry.”

“You say that a lot.”

“I suppose I do, but I truly mean it. I can get you new friends, but I know that’s not the same.”

“Of course it’s not.” She thought of Luciel, his impish humor and unwavering devotion to the people he loved. She thought of Zen, the vanity that failed to cover the insecurities underneath. Jumin, who kept his emotions bottled up inside, scared to let them out. Jaehee, who buried herself in work and refused to fail at anything. Yoosung and his cheerfully cute attitude that hid his underlying depression and kept him lost in his game. Every one of them was more precious than gold. 

She spoke calmly and clearly. “I won’t give them up.”

He hesitated. “Then I can give you the next best thing. I can give you new memories. So you won’t miss them at all.”

She gaped at him. “That’s horrible. That’s not the next best thing. That’s a nightmare.”

He was silent at that, staring at the sidewalk.

No, she couldn’t leave. There was too much to leave behind. Especially now, when her life had lit up like a sunrise. She couldn’t leave when she’d finally found…

Ray.

_ Ray _ .

Ray! 

He was waiting! Charlotte snatched her phone from her pocket. 12:05. Shit, she was five minutes late and ten minutes away. He was going to be worried sick. Even though they’d only known each other for a few days, she knew he’d be beside himself when she didn’t show up on time.

“I have to go!” She pushed up off the bench, shoving her phone back in her pocket and almost knocking V over. Dammit, why hadn’t she gotten Ray’s phone number so she could text him?

V scrambled to his feet. “Wait. Don’t go yet. Please!”

“Listen, this is important. I’m sorry, I really have to—” She was already backing away as she spoke. “Call me later, or send me a text. I have to go!”

And with that, she took off running, Ray the only thought in her mind.

 

* * *

 

Ray was pacing, back and forth, back and forth. He couldn’t focus on work. Couldn’t focus on anything. It was 12:11, and Charlotte wasn’t there. Of course he knew that eleven minutes was nothing for a human, that a mortal’s sense of time wasn’t well-attuned, that they were capable of losing track of it in ways that the fae often took advantage of. Eleven minutes late was no big deal. Eleven minutes late was nothing.

But every minute that she wasn’t there was another minute of agony.

Twelve minutes now.

Suddenly the door burst open, and he spun around to see Charlotte careen into the shop, slamming the door behind her and leaning back against it. Seeing him in front of her, she let out a heaving sigh, and her entire body slumped in relief.

“Charlotte,” he breathed.

He watched in horror as tears formed in her eyes. Wordlessly, she held out her arms towards him, and he rushed to her, scooping her up in his own, lifting her clear off her feet as he pressed his face to her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he felt her shudder in a sob that broke his heart.

He would kill V for this.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He tried to pull back to look at her, to see if she was injured, but she held him tighter, burying her face in his neck.

“I’m okay now,” she whispered. “I’m here. I’m with you.”

Something burst inside him, releasing a flood of emotion that he didn’t know what to do with. So he let it wash over him, over both of them, warm and sweet and wonderful.

“Yes,” he said. “You’re here. I’ve got you.”

Nothing else needed to be said.

 


	7. Lavender

The daoine sidhe in the brown suit stood at his window as the two gwyllions entered his office. At their approach, he turned to face them with a brilliant smile. “My friends. I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been looking forward to the news of your success.”

The brunette woman, now back to her carefully glamoured elegance, swallowed before speaking. “The foundation has been laid, sir. We made first contact.”

He tilted his head in confused surprise. “First contact?”

She fidgeted with her sleeve. “These things take time, of course. We need to establish a relationship with the girl in order to offer a strong temptation to bait her with. Give us a few days, and she’ll be eating out of our hands.”

“A few… days.”

The brunette opened her mouth, then closed it.

His frown was genuinely sad. “I asked for your assistance because you are known for your speed. You were unable to trap the woman on first meeting?”

“I — she would have come with us. She was ready to come, and then V—”

“V?”

The woman with the purple hair spoke for the first time. “It wasn’t our fault! If V hadn’t shown up, we would never have been chased away.”

The sidhe’s friendly eyes turned towards her, and her confident air melted, shoulders hunching and eyes dropping to the floor. “You allowed V to chase you away.”

The brunette made a small, frightened gesture of silence to her companion.

Heaving a sigh, the man shook his head. “Perhaps you are right. Perhaps it was not your fault. Perhaps I simply asked too much. So I will give you another chance.”

The brunette quickly donned a grateful smile. “Thank you, sir. You won’t regret—”

“No. Not you.” He nodded towards the purple-headed gwyllion. “Just her.”

Both women froze.

The man’s face was cold now, hard and unmovable as stone. With a wave of his hand, the brunette’s form began to disintegrate, and her scream echoed through the room even as her molecules crumbled into nothingness.

The other woman was shaking as he fixed his eyes on her, once again kind and benevolent. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your sister back as soon as you bring me the human. You won’t fail, will you?”

In a trembling voice, she replied, “No, sir.”

“No.” He steepled his hands. “Of course you won’t.”

 

* * *

 

Ray held Charlotte close, her feet still dangling an inch above the floor, her arms wrapped around his neck so tightly that he wasn’t sure if she’d ever let him go. He hoped she never did. As long as she was in his arms, he could feel that she was safe. She was here. Whatever had befallen her, she’d escaped it and come to him. 

He closed his eyes. Her breath was soft against his neck. 

Thank the gods she was safe.

“What happened to you?” he murmured.

She pulled back, slowly, reluctantly, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders, her shifting weight forcing him to set her on her feet. Losing contact with her was an almost physical ache, but he held onto her waist, and she didn’t move away. Every time she let him touch her, it felt like a miracle, one he would cherish for as long as he could. 

Who knew how long she’d allow his touch? Who knew how much time he had before she left him?

“What happened?” he asked again.

Her fingers grasped his shoulders, clinging to him. She started to speak, stopped, then started again. “You’re not going to believe me.”

It was something supernatural, then, if she doubted her credibility. V, that villain. It had to be him. Ray felt his body tighten and forced himself to relax. “I’ll believe you, Charlotte.”

She lifted her chin to look at him. “Will you?”

“Yes,” he said with certainty.

Her eyes searched his face. He didn’t know what she was looking for, but he hoped she would find it.  “Yes,” she said finally, “you will, won’t you?”

He repeated the words she’d said so often. “You wouldn’t lie to me.”

She smiled for the briefest of moments. “You really do believe in me.” Shaking her head, she let out a laugh that wasn’t a laugh. “All right. I was attacked by monsters that looked like women.”

...what?

He hadn’t thought she would surprise him, but women? He hadn’t expected that. V usually worked alone, preferring not to involve others in his affairs. But as soon as Ray thought that, he realized it was foolish. V was evil, a traitor. Of course he would recruit the dark fae towards his vicious ends.

Fury stirred in his blood. “What did they do?”

She bit her lip. “They — at first they tried to convince me to come with them. They were just normal women, you know? There was nothing strange about them. But when I refused to go, they — they changed.”

Changed. Yes, he understood. They’d dropped their human glamour, trying to threaten her into submission with their true, ghastly appearances. Instinctively, his grip on her waist tightened. “Did they hurt you?”

“No.” She shook her head, and he let out a sigh of relief. “But their faces…”

He could imagine. There were all sorts of monstrous fae that might have targeted her. But they couldn’t touch her against her will. She’d have no way to know it, but fae relied on temptation and fear to get humans to give themselves over to them freely. If she didn’t allow it, they could do nothing to her.

Charlotte hadn’t allowed it. She’d resisted their temptation and stood strong against their intimidation. She amazed him. 

“How did you get away?” They wouldn’t have left her easily, not as long as they had a chance of scaring her into obedience.

She shook her head in disbelief. “It sounds crazy. It  _ is _ crazy. This man turned up, a photographer I met once before. He calls himself V—”

Ray’s heart jumped. “V?!”

She started, looking at him in surprise. “Yes. He told them to stop, and they just — went away.”

He knew it. He  _ knew _ it. Anger surged through him, and he had to take a moment to control his breathing. “And then what? What did V say?”

“He — he told me I had to give up my life. To go away and never come back.”

Ray’s blood was boiling in his veins. So that was V’s plan. Get others to threaten her, then show up like a hero offering salvation. Smart. Like the master of deceit he was.

“Don’t trust that man.” His voice shook, but he couldn’t help it. “Don’t trust V. He’s vile and cruel. He hurts people. He’ll hurt you.”

Shock crossed her face. “Ray. You know him?”

Oh. He shouldn’t have said that.

Charlotte lifted her eyes to the ceiling and let out a huff. “Of course you do. Because you’re not normal, either, are you?”

He couldn’t breathe. “Why do you say that?”

A brief smile flitted across her face as she looked back at him. “You work in an invisible flower shop. You’ve as good as said that you can’t leave. There are colors here that don’t exist anywhere else. And…” she hesitated, then finished sheepishly, “you wear a cravat.” 

She’d noticed more than he realized. Of course she had. He should have known she would. He’d been hoping so hard that she’d stay ignorant, that the fae world would have no chance to sink its claws into her. He’d allowed that hope to blind him — but she was always too smart not to catch on. 

“This shop  _ is _ invisible,” she continued. “I doubted it, but it really is. My friends aren’t messing with me. They truly can’t see it.”

“It’s not invisible exactly—” He hesitated, wondering how to explain glamour, wondering if he  _ should _ explain glamour…

She squeezed her eyes shut, head falling forward. “What have I fallen into?”

“You didn’t fall,” he whispered. “You walked into it.” Straight through the flower shop door like a dream. His fault, his fault. If she hadn’t come in — if he hadn’t asked her to come back—

Her plaintive eyes rose to his. “Ray, what do I do?”

“Stay here,” he said immediately. “Stay with me.”

She blinked. “What?”

This was the hard part. “Stay. Don’t leave me.”

“Stay… for how long?”

_ Forever. No, no. _ “I don’t know. Until the danger is past.” His heart clenched. “Please, it’s not safe out there. I can only protect you here.”

“How are you going to protect me? How will we get past the danger?”

Those were good questions, important questions — and he had no answers for them, not good ones. He could only try his best to explain. “This is a safe place. No one can enter here without my permission.” His Queen had cast that spell herself. “If you’re here, I can make sure no one comes near you. And as for the danger outside — there’s someone who can help us. Who is already working to help us. I can’t tell you any details about her plan because I don’t know them myself. But she’s someone very special to me, and I trust her completely.”

“...someone special to you?”

“Very special. She’s amazing.”

“Oh.”

To his dismay, her hands loosened on his shoulders, and instinctively, he tightened his grip on her waist. “Please, Charlotte.” The words spilled out. “I know you’ve only known me a few days. I know you have no reason to trust me. But please, please, let me protect you. I want you — I  _ need _ you to be safe.”

At his words, she lifted her head, examining his face in a way that sent shivers down his spine. Would he pass her scrutiny? Gods, what would he do if he didn’t? She couldn’t walk out that door again, she couldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to bear it, watching her go out into danger, not knowing what might happen to her— 

Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts. “I shouldn’t trust you.”

Ray’s heart stopped. “What?”

She bit her lip. “I shouldn’t, right? It’s a terrible idea, trusting a man I’ve only met…” she paused “...four times now. And this place? It’s beautiful, calm, magical. An entirely different world, completely insulated from the outside. That should be safe, right? Untouchable?”

He wanted to say yes, but he realized it was a lie. That wasn’t how it worked. Insulated from the human realm didn’t mean safe. 

“It feels like it should be safe here,” she went on, “but an entirely different world means entirely different rules. Rules that I don’t know.” Her eyes were fixed on his. “And you’ve been hurt, right? I can see it.”

_ I’m fine, _ he started to say — and stopped short, the words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t say them. They were a lie, too. He hadn’t realized it… but they were.

The look on his face must have been answer enough. Charlotte’s face saddened, eyes filling with pain that he’d give anything to erase from her heart. “I’m not sure that  _ you’re _ safe here, let alone me. So trusting you now — it’s a terrible idea. And I shouldn’t.”

He couldn’t speak. She saw everything. She saw too much. No, no. He had to convince her, or he would lose her. What could he say that wasn’t a lie?

Before he could say anything, her eyes softened. “I shouldn’t trust you. But I do.”

What… did she say?

“I trust you, Ray. With my life.”

“You trust me?” he croaked.

“Yes. I do.”

A crushing weight lifted from him, and suddenly he was floating. “You’ll stay?”

She smiled up at him, a beautiful, full, sad smile. “I’ll stay.”

Elated, unable to stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his arms, crushing her to his chest. “Thank you. Oh, thank you. I’ll protect you with my life.” He hesitated, then said the words he knew he shouldn’t, words that were absolute truth. “I promise.”

She slid her arms around his shoulders once more, allowing him to bury his face in her hair, and he let her presence surround him. He was asking too much, presuming too much, but just for now, he’d allow himself to forget that she would leave him eventually, forget that he was too lowly for her, forget that there was danger outside those doors. He allowed himself to feel the peace that she brought him and let the rest go. The scent of lavender wafted through the air, the devotion it represented perfect for the moment. He would devote everything he had to protecting her.

Her voice cut through the haze of perfection. “Um, Ray? I can plug my phone in here, right?”

Oh.


	8. Mint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still Friday here, so I'm not late! This chapter is unbeta'd, so my apologies for any mistakes.
> 
> I added a note to the first chapter, but I have to mention it here because it's incredibly awesome -- rainylune drew fanart of this fic and it's absolutely lovely. I love her unique style so much. [Just look!](http://rainylune.tumblr.com/post/174098839048/so-uhh-quick-doodle-of-a-cute-scene-from-this)

“She’s in there, isn’t she, Vanderwood?”

The faery with the leopard print jacket glanced at the flower shop, then back at V. “Ran straight here and hasn’t come out.”

V’s shoulders slumped. “Then she’s in Rika’s hands now.”

Vanderwood took a drag on his cigarette. “What’s so important about this mortal, anyway?”

“Does there have to be something important about her?”

“Sure. Mortals are everywhere. They live, they die. Every time you blink, more of them are gone.”

V shook his head. “That doesn’t mean they don’t matter.”

“Maybe. But there must be something about this one. She can see the flower shop, for one thing. Maybe she’s not really human. Is that it?”

“No. She’s human.”

“So what then?”

V sighed. “This is my battle. Mine and Rika’s. We are where we are, all of us, because of the decisions I made. The Coordinator is a victim, and it’s my fault. I need to make it right.”

Rolling his eyes, Vanderwood dropped his cigarette, putting it out with his boot. “Whatever you say, boss. I just need to get paid.”

“You will always get paid. I keep my word.”

“Yup. That’s why I’m here.”

 

* * *

 

Ray led Charlotte through the tiny kitchen upstairs and pushed open the door to his little bedroom, cheeks warm with embarrassment. Dingy walls, worn furniture, tattered rug on an old wood floor. “Um… this can be your room.” He spoke quickly, shame at his poor hospitality tinging his words. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything better. If I knew you would stay, I would have prepared for you.”

Charlotte looked around the small, dark room, then smiled. “I don’t mind. It’s lucky you have a place for me at all. Where is your room?”

Oh. He cleared his throat. “This is my room. Was my room.”

Her brow creased, and she looked around again, her eyes falling on the small bed in the corner. “Oh. Where will you sleep?”

“It’s all right,” he said quickly. “I don’t sleep much. I can nap at the counter. That’s what I usually do anyway.”

Her eyes went wide. “I can’t put you out of your bed.”

Too kind, too caring. “You shouldn’t worry about me. This is nothing for me. I’m just sorry the room isn’t nicer. I’ll fix that, though! Tomorrow I’ll make it up nice for you.” She should have a room fit for a princess. It was an indignity to expect her to stay in a place like this. She was so much better than his shabby quarters.

She shook her head. “No, don’t go out of your way. I don’t need anything else. This is fine.”

He still couldn’t quite believe she was real, that someone existed who would be this thoughtful of him. His place was to be useful, to be used. Every time she cared for him, a part of him began to worry that she was a dream. 

All the more reason to give her the world. 

“You deserve so much more… Charlotte.” Saying her name felt like an honor he didn’t deserve. “And I’ll figure something out for your phone. Please don’t worry. I’ll make this place perfect for you, as perfect as I can.”

Biting her lip, she looked up at him from under her lashes. “It’s already perfect.”

The look on her face, so sweet, so lovely — it nearly undid him. He wanted to touch her again, hold her hand, hold her… in his arms… But he’d already imposed on her so much today. It wouldn’t be right to touch her again. If he was good, if he earned it, maybe later she would let him… 

He had to stop thinking about it, or he would go mad. Pushing those feelings down, he focused on her words. Perfect, what did she mean? This miserable space was nothing close to perfect. Why would she think— 

Oh. The shop below, of course. It must be the shop, the flowers, that were perfect. They were very pretty. Pride filled him that he’d kept the store nice enough to impress her.

Charlotte was chewing on her lip. She looked nervous. Had he done something wrong?

“Ray. Um. Can we… talk?”

That sounded scary. He really  _ had _ done something wrong. His throat was dry, and he had to swallow before he could answer. “Yes, whatever you want.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she took three steps to cross the room to the little bed and sat, then looked at him shyly and touched the space next to her.

He froze. The bed. Could he sit on the bed when she was there, too? Surely that was too much. Sitting with her in the shop was one thing, but in the bedroom everything took on a new meaning. Bedrooms were the place where you… where people… did… 

She looked away. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to sit next to me if you don’t want to.”

No, oh, no. He couldn’t have her thinking he didn’t want to be close to her, not when he wanted it more than anything, not when being near her filled his every thought.

Slowly, he took a step, then another, and then he was beside her, lowering himself to the bed, hyper-aware of her presence. Was he too close? Holding her when she was scared was one thing, but being this close to her in his bedroom, on his bed…

No, no.  _ Her _ bedroom.  _ Her _ bed.

“Tell me about this place,” she said quietly. “Tell me what’s going on. Tell me… about you.”

Oh.

She had questions. Of course she had questions. She’d been thrust into danger knowing nothing, and she’d barely escaped. Telling a mortal about the faery realm could mean so much danger, and he’d hoped so hard to protect her from that. But it was too late now. She’d been sucked into his world anyway, and now she needed to be armed with the knowledge that could save her life. That was the way to protect her now.

But where to begin? There was so much… 

“What do you want to know?” he asked softly.

She looked at her hands. “What is this place?”

“Well — it’s a flower shop.”

She gave him a frustrated look.

“I’m sorry.” He wrung his hands. “That’s really what it is. It’s just that my customers — they’re not — they’re not—”

“Human?”

He let out a breath. “Human.”

“Are you human?”

This was hard, so hard. Fear gripped him, but he wouldn’t evade, even if it meant she would hate him. “No.”

She nodded as if expecting this, but her eyes were sad. “What are you?”

“I… I’m a faery.”

She looked back down at her hands. 

“I’m sorry,” he blurted. “Please don’t hate me.”

She looked up, startled. “I could never hate you.”

Relief filled him, but the doubt still clung. “Really? You mean it?”

She laughed without humor. “I’m in too deep now. No, I couldn’t hate you. I’m sure of it.”

Too good, too sweet, too much. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Looking away again, Charlotte cleared her throat. “You’re a faery. What about those women?”

“Faeries.”

“V?”

“Faery.”

“Who else?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know who else you know. I didn’t know you’d met V. I would have told you earlier if I knew—”

“But why?” She looked at him again. “Why would V want to hurt me? I barely know him.”

That made him pause. How could he answer that? 

“I don’t know for sure. I can’t understand his twisted mind. But I think it’s because — you can see the shop. You came in.” He couldn’t keep the awe out of his voice. “Mortals can’t see it, but you can. That makes you…” Special. Extraordinary. Wondrous. “I don’t know what it makes you. But a mortal who can see through glamour might be useful to him in ways I can’t even imagine. I’m only a brownie, I’m nothing, I’m not smart enough to understand.” He was ashamed to admit the truth, but she needed to know. “This — all of this — it’s bigger than me.”

“Not smart enough?” For some reason, her eyes narrowed. He’d disappointed her. She must be angry with him for not being better, not being what she deserved.

He couldn’t stand to hear her tell him that. With time, he’d prove to her that he could be good, that he could be useful to her. He just needed the chance to prove it. Before she could speak again, he said, “You don’t have to worry. I know I’m not good enough, but I’ll protect you with my life.”

She looked like she was going to cry. He’d hurt her, no, that was unforgivable. What could he say to reassure her?

He could tell her the truth, that would make her feel safe for sure. “My Queen will help us, so you don’t need to worry. She’s strong, so strong. She makes this place safe. You’ll be protected here.”

“There’s… a faery queen?”

“Queen of the Mint Court. She’s magnificent. Beautiful and benevolent — you’ll meet her soon, I’m sure.” He tried not to be nervous about that idea. His Queen didn’t understand yet how special Charlotte was, but she would, she would. She had to. Impossible to meet Charlotte and not see how precious she was, a brilliant, bright flower in a world of grey.

She bit her lip again. “She’s beautiful?”

“Yes. Almost as beautiful as you.”

Her cheeks and ears turned red, and she fidgeted with her hands.

“This queen — why would she protect me?”

That was a good question, and he didn’t have words for the answer. “It’s too big for me, the whole picture. But she’s my savior. I trust her with anything.”

“Savior?”

He took a deep breath. The conversation was heading into difficult territory. So hard to talk about himself, but he wanted Charlotte to know everything. He wanted to open himself to her, to give her every piece of himself, and telling her about his past was where he would start. 

“She found me a year ago,” he began, “a helpless brownie with no memories. She took me in, gave me work in this shop, showed me how to be useful. I’d be nowhere without her.”

Brow creased with concern, her eyes flitted over his face, coming to rest on his own. “She helped you?”

He nodded. “I think I would have died if she hadn’t.”

“Then I guess… I should be grateful to her.”

He thought he heard something in her voice, something strange and out of place, but he couldn’t think what it was. “I owe her everything. She’s the only person who cares about me.”

Charlotte hesitated, then reached for his hand. At the touch of her fingers, electricity shot through him. He held stock still, unable to move as she rested her hand on his. 

“She’s not the only one,” she whispered. “Not anymore.”

His breath caught.

Was she saying…?

Head suddenly light, heart pounding hard enough to burst from his chest, he grabbed her hand, clutching it tightly.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” He squeezed his eyes shut, willing it with all his might to be true. “Nothing can happen to you.”

“I trust you, Ray.”

So much responsibility in those four short words. She trusted him. Was she right to trust him? A pathetic brownie, good for nothing, a shopkeeper not strong enough to enchant the flowers he prepared. What if he wasn’t enough? What if he failed? What if she—

He couldn’t even think it.

Charlotte cleared her throat. “I trust you, but I need to know. Ray. Who is V?”

V. Right. V.

Mentally, he shook himself, bringing himself back to the present and her question. Opening his eyes, he found her watching him with quiet sadness. “V is a king.  _ Was _ a king. The king of the Mint Court. But he betrayed my Queen and was exiled for his cruelty. Now he seeks to overthrow her and steal her throne.”

Appropriate that the court was named for the mint plant.  _ Suspicion _ . His Queen had so much reason for suspicion.

“How did he betray her?”

Even thinking about it made the rage simmer in his belly. He tried to keep his explanation short so as not to overwhelm her with it. “Her Majesty loved V unconditionally and was entirely devoted to him. Traitor that he is, he didn’t feel the same. He used her for her power, and when she discovered what he was doing, he tried to control her, lock her up. There was a battle, and she won.”

“Is that why you hate him?”

“Yes. I can never forgive him for hurting her.”  _ And I can never let him hurt you. _

Charlotte squeezed his hand, sending his heart thumping even more. “She means so much to you. Are you— do you—”

“What is it?”

For a moment, she hesitated, then shook her head and looked away. “Never mind.”

She looked unhappy, and he didn’t know why. He wanted to wipe that sadness away, wanted her only to smile for the rest of her life. A strand of hair fell into her face, blocking his view of her eyes. Unbidden, his free hand came up to brush it back, tucking it behind her ear.

Her eyes turned to him, then fell to his lips. “Ray…”

His heart was pounding now, so hard and fast he thought it might jump out of his chest. She’d kissed him before, let him kiss her back. So kind and generous to him. Would she let him do it again? Is that why she looked at him like that, her eyes heavy-lidded, her breath coming quickly?

He felt himself leaning towards her, and she leaned in, too, her eyes falling shut…

No. No, he couldn’t. Not here, not now. Even if she was kind enough to let him, it was too much, here in this little room, on her bed, where the temptation for more was so intense he felt it burning in his veins. He had to stop this, he had to—

Pulling his hand from hers, he jumped to his feet, and when she rose as well, he turned his face away. “I’m sorry, I — I presume too much. You’ll need your privacy, and some time to make arrangements with your life outside. Right? On your phone? I should leave you to do that.”

A pause. “You’re leaving?”

“I’ll be just downstairs. I have so much work. I have to get it all done so that my Queen is happy. If she’s not happy— if I’m not useful—”

He stole a glance at her face. Her eyes had gone hard. “What happens if she’s not happy?”

Too many terrible things to name.

“I want to please her.” Not a lie. “I have so much to do. Forgive me, I — I have to go.”

And with that, he rushed from the room, embarrassment making his face warm.

 

* * *

 

Luciel leaned back in his chair, head swimming from the code he was programming, and glanced at the time. He was making good progress on this software. It was probably a good time to take a break, check the RFA chatroom, maybe. With a yawn, he dug out his phone and logged into the app.

 

**Charlotte, Jumin Han**

 

**— Luciel has entered the chatroom —**

**Charlotte:** So Jumin, can you get to my office and put a sign up on the door for me?

**Luciel:** Hiya

**Luciel:** hey hey

**Charlotte:** Luciel, hello :)

**Jumin Han:** Wassap.

**Charlotte:** ……

**Charlotte:** Lololololol

**Charlotte:** Jumin, ily.

 

Luciel scrolled up to see what he had missed. Charlotte and Jumin had been talking about Elly, and then—

 

**Luciel:** Wait. Char, you’re not going into the office?

**Charlotte:** Not for a few days ^^

**Luciel:** You never miss going in. 

**Charlotte:** Yeah. I— something came up.

 

A dark feeling crept over him that he couldn’t explain.

 

**Luciel:** What is it?

**Charlotte:** I— it’s— 

**Charlotte:** I can’t really talk about it right now.

 

That was not a good sign.

 

**Luciel:** Do you need help?

**Charlotte:** I don’t think so

**Charlotte:** but I’ll let you know if I do.

**Jumin Han:** I trust that you will. We are all here for you if you need us.

**Charlotte:** I know. Thank you. Both of you.

**Jumin Han:** I’ll have Assistant Kang put the sign up on your door. 

**Jumin Han:** No, I might as well do it myself. I’ll be in that area for a meeting tomorrow morning. 

**Jumin Han:** No need to worry.

**Charlotte:** Thank you. Just have it say, “Out of the office, please call or text” and then my number.

 

Luciel wanted to make a joke — demand to know why she wasn’t asking  _ him _ to put up the sign, tease her about what he would write on it if he did — but he was too worried to put his heart into it. He knew it was illogical, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong. It was like an itch in his brain — like there was something there he ought to know, but the knowledge was just out of reach.

It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling, but it had never come with this kind of fear before. This time, the situation screamed danger to him, and he didn’t know why.

 

**Luciel:** Charlotte. If you need to talk, I’m here, okay? You can tell me anything.

 

There was a long pause before she answered.

 

**Charlotte:** I know. Thank you, Luciel. I promise that if I need your help, I’ll come to you.

 

Luciel supposed that was the best he could ask for. He prayed it would be enough.

 


	9. Red Tulip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks once again to my wonderful readers. You all are truly the best.
> 
> I've increased the rating on the fic from a T to an M for canon-typical content to come in future chapters. If you're uncertain, please double check the tags. ~~I'm considering adding explicit sexual content, but I haven't made a decision on that yet. If I do, I'll increase the rating and clearly label the chapter(s) containing sexual content so it can easily be skipped (or skipped _to_ as the case may be).~~ ETA: please ignore, have decided against.
> 
> This chapter is shorter than usual. Unfortunately, I was sick for most of the week and seriously doubted if I would be able to get a chapter out by the posting date at all. But I did it! Double thanks to my beta Trulycertain for looking over it so quickly after I sent it to her.
> 
> Without further ado... the chapter.

So much work. Ever since Ray had met Charlotte, it seemed his Queen had more work for him than ever. Of course, that was how it should be. He should be grateful for the opportunity to serve her. She was giving him the chance to make himself useful, and he wouldn’t take that for granted. If he proved himself, if he was able to do that, then Charlotte… Charlotte… 

Charlotte.

He hadn’t given her a flower yet today — which one should he choose? There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to promise. How could any flower express all he felt for her, the way his soul ached when she wasn't there, how his heart fluttered when she smiled at him, the thrill that went through him at her touch— 

It would take a room full of flowers to convey all his feelings. 

No. There was one word that summed it all up. He had no right to feel it, no right to even think it, but it was true all the same. Four letters that encapsulated it all. 

Love. 

He loved her.

There it was. Pathetic thing that he was, he’d dared to lift his eyes to a creature far too good for him, a woman with a soul of unsurpassable beauty, with a heart of pure compassion. He knew he shouldn’t dare to think of her, let alone… let alone… 

love...

And yet. His hand rose to his lips as he walked the aisles of the shop. She’d allowed him to kiss her. She’d kissed him back. She was entrusting him with her safety, her very life. When she was scared, she’d run to him, she’d sought his arms and his embrace.

She’d given him her name. She’d said she liked him.

The tulip display caught his attention, drawing his feet to a stop. Reaching out with one hand, he removed a single red blossom from the rest, a shiver passing through him as he did so. 

A declaration of love. 

Did he have the right to tell her this? It was too early; he knew it was. He shouldn't force his feelings on her. He was lucky she allowed him to be near her at all.

But she wasn't a faery, and she surely didn't know the language of flowers. He didn't know much about humans, but he'd heard that they rarely used flowers at all, and then it was usually for decoration or a gift of simple beauty. 

He loved her. Gods, he loved her, and his need to share his heart with her was burning him up inside. This was a way to do so without pressuring her, to tell her without her ever knowing how far he'd overstepped his bounds. 

It was close to four o’clock in the afternoon. With a start, he realized he hadn't thought about giving her food, hadn't even asked her if she'd eaten. He ate so little himself, and he'd been so caught up in his worries for her safety, that he'd allowed himself to become irresponsible with her health. Shame made his face grow hot. That was unforgivable.

Dear gods, what was he going to feed her? The only food in his home was the bread and honey his Queen gave him to reward him for his work. At least he’d been good lately, and he’d earned his food and water. He might not have much to eat himself after Charlotte did, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that bread and honey was all he could offer her. That was nothing to subsist on, not for someone like her. Tomorrow when the Queen’s silkies came, he’d have them bring eggs, milk, rice, cheese, beans, vegetables… and her furnishings, she should have pretty furniture, new bedding, bright lamps… she would need clothes...

Clutching the tulip in one hand and a small vase in the other, he hurried upstairs and rushed through the little kitchen to her room. The door was cracked open, and he paused outside, afraid of disturbing her. 

“Charlotte?”

No reply. 

Gently, he rapped lightly on the door. “Charlotte?”

Nothing. 

A tendril of fear curled in his stomach. No, he shouldn't worry. She was safe here. The flower shop was protected by his Queen's magic, and no one could come in without his invitation. She was safe. She was safe. 

Wasn't she? 

Irrationally terrified, he pushed the door open slowly. When his eyes fell on the bed, he stopped. 

She was sleeping, her body curled up around itself. Her red hair was fanned out over the pillow, and her lashes fluttered against her cheeks.

She was breathtaking. Every time he looked at her, her beauty dazzled him. He wondered if she was dreaming. He wondered what she was dreaming about. He wondered… he  _ hoped _ she was dreaming about him. 

Pulling his hand back, he allowed the door to swing back to its nearly closed position, then retreated to the kitchen, filling the vase with water from the barrel and placing the tulip in the glass. Then, quietly, afraid to disturb her, he returned to her room and took one small step inside. Just far enough to set the vase on the dilapidated chest of drawers. 

“No.”

He jumped at her voice, spinning around to face her.  “I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come in. I didn't mean to —”

“Please. Please, no. Don’t —”

Ray was ready to fall to his knees and beg her forgiveness when he realized her eyes were still shut. Her hands clutched the blanket beneath her, and her breath came fast. 

She wasn't talking to him — she was having a nightmare. 

Before he could think, he lurched forward, dropping to sit on the bed as he shook her shoulder. “Charlotte. Wake up. It's okay, wake up. You're safe.”

Her eyes flew open, body jerking. With a gasp, she sat up, eyes darting around the room and coming to rest on his face.

“Ray.” Closing her eyes, she took a deep, calming breath, then another, before looking at him again. “You're here.”

He opened his mouth to apologize for invading her space, but she threw herself at him, arms wrapping tight around his neck, and his body froze with surprise, the words dying in his throat.  She pressed her face against his shoulder, and the movement snapped him out of it. Reaching up, he encircled her waist with his arms. 

“You're safe,” he said again. “I won't let anything happen to you.” 

“I'm sorry,” she murmured into his jacket. “Just give me a minute.”

“Sorry?” He blinked. “For what?”

She made a small noise. “I'm pretty pathetic, aren't I? Getting all worked up over a nightmare. Not very brave.”

Charlotte, not brave? Unthinkable. “You faced down two fae and stood your ground. Three, including V. Do you know how few humans can do that? Most give in at first offer. You're incredible. You’re so strong.”

She shuddered. “I dreamed they came for you. I dreamed they dragged you away.”

His heart all but stopped.  _ “Me?” _

Charlotte nodded against his shoulder. “I tried to chase after them. I was going to save you. But the faster I ran, the farther away they got. I could hear you screaming for me—”

His arms tightened around her.

“You were scared for me.” He couldn’t keep the awe out of his voice. “No one’s ever been scared for me. But please don’t be upset because of me. I want you only to be happy.” 

“I’m happy now,” she murmured. “When you hold me like this, I’m happy.”

Her words sent a thrill through him. “I’m so glad. I'm so, so glad. I want to make you happy. I want to be useful to you.”

Her arms tightened around him. “You don’t need to be useful. Just being who you are is enough.”

Who he was. She’d said that before, but he couldn’t understand. Who was he? He was what he could offer. Other than that, he was scrawny and weak, powerless and small. How could she like who he was if he wasn’t someone useful?

The Voice laughed.  _ You can never be useful enough for her. _

The Voice was right. No matter how hard he worked, no matter how much he did, he was never quite enough. But if he kept trying, if he just worked hard enough, his Queen had promised him he’d be rewarded. If he just worked a little more—

_ You’re not strong enough. You think you can please our Queen? You think you can deserve this woman? _

Doubt crept into his mind.

Charlotte pulled back from him just enough to look him in the eyes, brow creased with concern. “You’ve gone all tense. Are you okay?”

Gods, she was lovely. “I don’t have to be useful?”

“Just be yourself. You make me happy for who you are.”

She’d said this before, too, and suddenly he remembered her other words, too.  _ Kind _ , he told the Voice.  _ She said I was kind. _

It laughed again.  _ Kind is another way of saying weak. _

_ It’s not.  _ She’s _ kind, and she’s not weak. _

The Voice had no answer for that.

She was still looking at him with worried eyes. Beautiful, beautiful. She captivated him, body and soul.

“I’ll try,” he whispered. “I’ll try to be myself. So that you’ll be happy.”

One of her hands reached up to the back of his head, her fingers twining in his hair. Her eyes were wide, and she swallowed. “I am happy.”

His heart leapt into his throat, and before he could process any more, her lips were pressed against his, her eyes squeezed shut. Electricity shot through his body. He closed his own eyes, uncertain what to do but never wanting this moment to end.

Luckily she knew what she was doing, because she moved her lips over his in a way that made him shiver with pleasure. He tried to copy her movements, and the sound she made went straight to his heart. 

The kisses they’d shared before had been momentary, fleeting. This one lingered, soft and sweet. He reveled in every moment of it, hyper-aware of every sensation, her fingers combing through the strands of his hair, the warmth of her body pressed against his, the gentle caress of her lips… 

His heart was racing so fast he felt it might fly away.

It was seconds, it was years before she broke the kiss, pulling back only inches to look him in the eyes. “Was that okay?” she breathed.

Gods, she intoxicated him. Everything about her, her scent, her eyes, her words, her heart. He opened his mouth to say yes, but what came out was, “Please don’t leave me.”

She smiled, but her eyes were sad. “I’m not leaving. I’m here.”

He let her reassurance wash over him.

“And don’t you leave, either,” she told him. “I’m going to protect you, too.”

Protect… him? No one had ever wanted to protect him before, not without asking something in return. He felt a little dizzy.

Oh! He needed to come back to reality. Food! She hadn’t eaten! 

Frowning, she tilted her head. “Ray?”

“I’m sorry. I forgot — you need —”

“What is it?”

“Are you hungry?” he blurted.

She laughed, a tinkling, bell-like sound. “I am, actually.”


	10. Dandelion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note -- I've decided not to include smut in this fic. If I feel like it should be written, I will publish it separately.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you all for reading.

“This is  _ all you eat?” _

Charlotte sat at the small kitchen table with a plate of bread and a jar of honey in front of her. Ray’s cheeks were tinged pink as he poured dandelion tea into a mug and set it on the table for her, then moved away to stoke the fire in the stone hearth.

“This is what I earn. I’m sorry. If I were better, I’d have more to give you. Tomorrow, though. My Queen said she would take care of you. I’ll get you good food. I’ll get you the best—”

“And what about you?”

He turned his head to glance at her and looked quickly away. “I’m okay with—” He stopped and started again. “I don’t know if I can be good enough to earn better food than this.”

Charlotte’s blood boiled in her veins. Oh, this  _ queen _ of his. A savior, was she? Working him to the bone with no pay except some bread and drinking water. Holding him hostage in this building and making him believe he owed her for it. What was she telling him to put such horrible thoughts in his head? That he didn’t deserve decent food? That he wasn’t good enough to be loved?

If she could, she would toss him bodily over her shoulder and carry him out of there right now. Unfortunately, she didn’t have anywhere safer to go.

He still wasn’t looking at her.

“Ray.”

Slowly, cautiously, he met her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

His words sent a pang through her. “You don’t have to be sorry. You’re more than good enough. You’re very special. I’m only sorry your queen isn’t wise enough to see it.”

His eyes went wide. “No, no, it’s not like that. She gives me everything I have.” His words were tinged with desperation. “Sometimes she is generous enough to bring me ice cream and let me eat it in her presence. She doesn’t have to do that. She doesn’t have to do any of it. This is a place of honor. I’m lucky to be here.”

The more he explained, the more Charlotte wanted to explode. But the look on his face stopped her. 

Her criticism scared him. He was frightened by it.

He looked back at the hearth. 

No, he wasn’t ready to hear this. She’d have to go slowly. It would take time for him to see the truth. That was all right. She’d tell him how special he was for as long as she had to, keep telling him until he believed her. And then she’d tell him some more.

She glanced at the table. He hadn’t set a place for himself.

“Ray. Aren’t you going to eat with me?”

His eyes were fixed on the flickering flames. “I want  _ you _ to eat. Please.”

He was evading the question. “Are you hungry?”

Now he looked up at her, surprise on his face, before turning back to replace the poker in its stand. “You don’t need to worry about me so much.”

Stupid, self-sacrificing, wonderful boy. Charlotte pushed her plate away and folded her arms.

Ray turned, eyes falling to the table, then lifting to meet hers. “It’s not good enough? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Tomorrow I can get you whatever you want. Tomorrow—”

“It’s fine,” she interrupted. “But I’m not eating a bite unless you eat, too.”

His mouth fell open. 

“...what?”

How could he be surprised? “I’m not taking your food and starving you. What kind of person would do that?”

“But — it doesn’t matter if I eat. I—”

She couldn’t contain her anger any longer. “It matters to me!”

He fell silent, eyes wide as he stared at her.

With a deep breath, she made herself be calm. “I can’t just take from you and be okay with that. I can’t steal from you for my own gain and ignore your needs. Would you do that to me?”

“No! Never! Of course not!”

“Then what kind of monster do you think I am? Do you think I’m that cruel?”

He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Cruel?”

He didn’t understand. Good god. What kind of horrific treatment had he endured to make basic human decency so impossible to believe? 

With a sigh, the anger went out of her, and all she could feel was sad. She reached for the small loaf and bread knife on the table, and cut the bread into two parts. “Eat,” she told him. “Or I won’t either.”

With awe shining from his eyes, he took a step towards the table. To her horror, he dropped to his knees, his gaze fixed on the floor. 

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Oh, she hated that. She  _ hated _ it. Tears threatened to spill, but she blinked them back. He was debasing himself before her because he expected her to starve him. He was kneeling at her feet simply because she was letting him eat.

“Ray, no. Please, get up. Sit—” Searching the room, Charlotte realized that the chair she sat in was the only one in the kitchen.

“I’m fine here,” he murmured. “I belong here.”

No, no, no. Grabbing the plate and the jar of honey, she slid from her chair to the floor and placed the food between them.

He blinked in shock.

“Then I guess I do, too. Because I belong at your side.”

He looked like he might cry. God, she was doing this wrong, all wrong. But she couldn’t let him this go on, couldn’t allow him to believe he was inferior. This was all she knew to do.

“Eat,” she told him again.

Still awestruck, he reached for the bread. “I’ll get more food tomorrow. Better food.”

“I’m not eating anything that you don’t eat, too.”

Moisture shone in his eyes. “You’re too good for me.”

Her own tears returned, and she forced them back again. If she cried, he might fall apart, and that wasn’t what she wanted.  Impulsively, she touched his chin, then pulled her hand back.“You’re a good man, Ray. I wish you could see it.”

Ray looked away. “Tomorrow,” he began again. “Tomorrow you can have—”

“I know.” But she was definitely not taking anything that she couldn’t share with him.

“When the other fae come, when they bring the things you need—” He took a breath. “It’ll be better not to talk to any of them. Remember not to give them your name, and please, don’t eat food given to you from any other faery. Only eat what comes from my hand.”

More odd restrictions. “Why is that?”

“Because it’s a trap. You could lose your freedom.” He bit his lip. “The fae will try to entrap mortals in any way they can. You have something we can only dream of — free will. That means we can’t touch you unless you let us. You remember the faeries you met?”

“They couldn’t have hurt me?”

“No, not without your agreement.”

Son of a bitch.

“So if food is handed you with the intention of entrapment, and you take it in of your own free will, you give yourself over. I would never do that to you,” he said quickly. “You know that, right? I’d never hurt you.”

“I know that.”

He sighed, visibly relieved. “I’d never try to trap you, but I can’t promise about others. So please. Don’t trust anything they offer.”

She was caught up in something far deeper than she could have ever imagined when she first walked into that flower shop. But she trusted Ray, for better or worse.

“Thank you for warning me. I’ll trust you.”

“Thank you,” he sighed.

 

* * *

 

He showed her around the shop that evening, his excitement palpable as he pointed out the different flower arrangements, telling her the names of each blossom and speaking so quickly that she had no hope of remembering them. At one point during the impromptu tour, she found the courage to slip her hand into his. His cheeks turned pink, and he stuttered mid-sentence, then tightened his gloved fingers around hers and continued with his oration.

Finally, he stopped, taking a deep breath and looking at her with a longing that made her heart pound. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, the way the pink tips of his hair fell into his brilliant green eyes, the slight tilt of his head as he gazed at her, how soft and pink his lips looked…

She wanted to kiss him again, wanted it so badly, but she was rapidly becoming aware that she’d been the one initiating physical contact almost every time they touched, and she was starting to fear that she’d come on too strong. So instead she forced herself to pull her thoughts together.

“Ray?”

“Yes,” he breathed.

“Why flowers?”

He blinked. “What?”

Was it a strange question? Embarrassed, she cleared her throat. “Why do faeries need flowers? Why does this queen of yours have a flower shop?”

“Oh.” Closing his eyes, he shook his head, then opened them again. “Flowers are life. They’re full of living energy. That makes them powerful magical tools. I prepare the flowers, and her Majesty enchants them to trade for favors.”

“You don’t enchant them?”

“No. I can’t. Brownies are household fae. We’re good at hiding from humans and doing simple physical labor. A charm like that would take unbelievable power. Power I could never hope to have.”

He put himself down so much, and she knew where his insecurity came from. “This queen told you that.”

“Yes, of course.”

Yes, of course. Ha. Somehow, she had a hard time trusting anything that came from that faery queen’s mouth. 

“Couldn’t she be lying?”

As soon as she said the words, something tickled her memory, something from fairy tales she’d heard as a child. Lying. Was it true that faeries couldn’t lie?

He frowned. “She could, but she wouldn’t. She knows I’d follow her no matter what. Besides, everyone knows what a brownie is and what we can do.”

Oh. “So faeries can lie.” She laughed, feeling self-conscious. “I’d heard stories that they couldn’t — never mind, it’s silly.”

His jaw dropped. “You’ve heard stories? Humans know that?”

Now she was thoroughly confused. “It’s true?”

“We can’t lie to humans. It’s—” He hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip. “Remember what I said about free will? We can’t interfere with that. Lying, giving false information, would interfere with your ability to make choices freely. So we can’t lie.”

Oh. Can’t lie to  _ humans _ . That meant… 

“You can lie to each other.” 

“Yes. We don’t have free will the way you do. We’re bound to our nature, no true freedom to interfere with. So yes, we can lie to each other.”

Dammit, she knew it. She  _ knew _ that queen had to be deceiving him. Charlotte would figure out what this queen was up to if it was the last thing she did. 

“So this queen.” She tried not to make the word sound like a curse. “She told you that you can’t enchant flowers.”

He looked at the floor, raising his gloved hand to his heart. “Are you disappointed?”

She was horrified. “Of course not. Never. Hey.” She reached for the hand on his chest, resting her own hand on top. “I can’t enchant flowers, either. Are you disappointed in me?”

His green eyes lifted to hers. “No. You’re perfect as you are.”

Again, she felt the desire to pull him into her arms, and again she resisted. She shouldn’t presume. She shouldn’t move too fast for him.

Instead, she tried to focus on what he’d said, to pick up a train of thought that had taken root in her mind. The queen had told him he couldn’t enchant flowers. The queen was probably lying. Ray had given her flowers every day since she’d met him. Those flowers— those flowers—

Was he giving her enchanted flowers all this time?

Was she… was she under a love spell?

No. Her feelings were true, of that she was certain. They hadn’t come out of nowhere. She cared for him because of his kindness, his loving heart. She adored him for his sweet demeanor, his desire to please. Her feelings were no spell. She cared for him because of who he was.

But… what if he’d done something without realizing it? Was it possible… 

Carefully, she spoke. “Can a flower… ever be enchanted… with a love spell? Can a faery make someone fall in love with them through flowers?”

He shook his head. “Not a human. A faery — in a way. Flowers can attract love, but they offer no control over where it comes from.”

So magic had limits. Interesting.

“So what are they used for?”

”Oh, lots of things. They can bring things like success, power, or happiness. They can repel trouble or negativity. Or they can communicate.”

That confused her. “Communicate? Do they… talk?”

With a shy laugh, he said, “No. It’s not like that. Every flower has a meaning. If you choose a flower with an important meaning and enchant it, the person you give it to will understand the message of your heart without words. They’ll… they’ll see a bit into your soul, in a way.”

Stunned, she thought back to the flowers he’d given her. Lily of the valley, he’d said that was a promise of happiness. If she was right, and he was truly enchanting these flowers, then… he’d cast a spell to make her happy. 

The next flower, white heather. Her flower book told her that meant protection, wishes fulfilled. A protection spell?

Pink camellia — “I long for you”. That sounded like a communication spell, a message from his heart. A way for her to truly understand his feelings without words. How had he put it? A glimpse into his soul?

And today a tulip, that meant—

She didn’t know yet.

Still caught up in that thought, she released him to pull her phone from her pocket, frowning briefly when she noticed that her battery had recharged itself all on its own. But that was unimportant now. With a few swipes, she pulled up her ebook, flipping rapidly through the pages until she found the Ts.

There it was.  _ Tulip, red. _

Her heart stopped.

_ Declaration of love. _

She dropped her phone.

“Charlotte?” His voice was frightened. “Are you all right?”

_ Declaration of love. _

“Fine!” she squeaked, dropping to her knees and scrambling for her phone. “I’m fine.”

He bent down to help her up, face full of worry.

He loved her. Oh god. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she felt a little dizzy. He loved her.

Phone in hand, she paused. He was crouched beside her, peering nervously into her eyes. 

She didn’t know what to do, what to say. He hadn’t told her outright, so she shouldn’t know, right? She shouldn’t say anything. If he wanted her to know, he’d tell her.

“Charlotte.” He put his hand over his heart again. “What’s wrong? Please, please tell me.”

She forced herself to smile through her shock and found that it wasn’t hard at all, that her happiness was overflowing.  _ He loves me. He loves me. _

“Nothing’s wrong,” she told him honestly. “I’m happy to be here with you. I really am.”

His smile of relief went straight to her heart. He was so wonderful. Every time she looked at him, she was filled with joy.

In that moment, she vowed to herself to make him as happy as she was. Whatever it took.

 

* * *

 

The gwyllion called Sarah stood in front of the office building. V had visited this place four days ago. It was here that the pixy had first spotted the human woman, so it was here that Sarah would start.

There was only one problem. The sign on the door said the building was closed. It was Sunday. The building wouldn’t open until the morning, and it was her only lead. She was stuck. Helpless. Hopeless. There was nothing she could do.

How much time would the daoine sidhe give her?

They should have listened to the rumors her sister had uncovered. Should have never become involved. But how could they know? The man in the brown suit had a sterling reputation, was a beloved leader among the fae. His attention was sought after by all, from the lowliest goblin to his peers among the sidhe. And when Sarah had looked into his friendly amber eyes, she’d felt certain he was trustworthy. The murmured whispers of dark deeds seemed so farfetched and ridiculous, the sisters hadn’t given them a second thought.

And now here she was, standing outside a dirty human establishment and praying that waiting one more day wouldn’t damn her sister to a fate worse than death.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would get to the bottom of this. And she hoped that wretched human suffered for what she’d put the sisters through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dandelions represent faithfulness and happiness.


	11. Ambrosia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another flower meaning website that I'm using: https://gardenerdy.com/list-of-flower-names-meanings-of-flowers

Ray woke up slowly, the haze of dreams lifting like a veil. He became aware first of softness, of warmth, enveloping his body. Then awareness crept in, and he realized that the sensation was wrong. Sleep was supposed to be hard and short. Comfort had no place in it.

His eyes flew open, and the source of the warmth became clear. Charlotte was curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest, one arm wrapped around his waist, her leg thrown over his.

The memories came rushing back. How she had tried to stay up as long as he did, sitting on a stool at the counter and playing with her phone until her eyelids were drooping. How he’d insisted that she go to bed, and how she’d revealed her fear that the nightmares would come back.

He’d told her he would stay with her until she fell asleep. They’d lain next to each other, not touching save for their intertwined fingers. He’d waited until her breathing became even, had watched the rise and fall of her chest, and he’d wished that he didn’t have to get up, didn’t have to work…

And now it was morning. The light trickling in through the tiny window told him the sun was coming up. He’d fallen asleep and slept too long; his work would be so backed up—

“Mmmmm.”

He started at the sound of her voice. Her eyes were still closed, but she tightened her arm around his waist as her lips curved upwards. “It’s early. Go back to sleep.”

She was the most exquisite sight he’d ever seen. That small, contented smile, her tangled hair… She nuzzled her head against his chest and he thought he might die from happiness.

“It’s late,” he whispered. “I have work.”

Eyes opening, her smile turned to a pout. “But I don’t want you to go.”

How was he going to leave her when she said things like that? How could he possibly tear himself away?

“Is this real?” he found himself asking. “Are you really here?”

Her eyes went soft. “I’m here. It seems like a dream, but I’m really here.”

“I keep thinking you’re going to leave.” Was this too much to say? “I keep worrying that I’ll turn around and you’ll be gone.”

She made a small sound. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, he reached for her, pulling her closer. “I’m so happy. Is it okay for me to be this happy?”

“ _Yes._ More than okay. You deserve to be happy.” She sighed. “If I could, I’d make you the happiest man in the world.”

Her words washed over her, bathing him in joy. “I think… I think I already am.”

She pulled back, and he opened his eyes in alarm, but she was just looking at him, her eyes filled with emotion he couldn’t recognize. Slowly, she lifted her head towards his, gauging his reaction. When he didn’t move, she pressed her lips against his in a brief kiss.

His heart stuttered. He’d never, ever get used to that. Impossible she could want to kiss him, want to hold him, and yet…

Here she was. Against all reason, against all logic, here she was.

“Do you really have to get up?” she murmured.

With all his being, he wanted to say no, but the silkies would be coming soon, and he had to be ready for them. He had to be prepared to get Charlotte everything she deserved. “I’m sorry.” He was unable to keep the regret from his voice. “I really do.”

She sighed. “Then I’ll get up, too.”

What? “Oh. No! You should sleep—”

With a wry smile, she shrugged. “I think I’m awake now anyway. Don’t worry. I’ll be happier to stay with you.”

It was the most impossible, wonderful dream. He hoped he never woke up.

 

* * *

 

When the Queen of the Mint Court materialized in the flower shop, the place was bustling with activity. Her silkies and brownies were everywhere, bringing in elegant furniture, bags of food, beautiful clothing — the best of everything a human could need. In the midst of it all stood Ray, barking orders in a strong, authoritative voice.

Good. Very good. He knew how to entice a mortal after all. The best of the best to dazzle their senses. A brownie wouldn’t have the power to glamour those things into existence, and even if one could, the human had seen through the glamour of the shop. The real thing was called for, and Ray had recognized it.

She hadn’t expected things to be going so well.

Ray’s gaze fell on her, and his eyes widened. He delivered one last order to a passing brownie, then approached her with reverence.

“My Queen. I didn’t know you would come.”

“Of course I came.” She smiled benevolently. “I’ve entrusted you with an important project. I had to see how it was proceeding.”

He bowed his head. “I’m so honored.”

She nodded once. “I see I was right in trusting you. You’ve done well. No human could want to leave such extravagance. You’ve arranged for a beautiful display.”

His gaze lifted hopefully. “You think she’ll want to stay?”

“Absolutely. You’ve done a good job, Ray. I’m proud of you.”

He raised his hand to his heart. “Thank you, your Majesty.”

She gestured dismissively, her thoughts turning to more important matters. “Where is the girl now?”

“Upstairs. She’ll be down any moment, I’m sure. She—”

“Excuse me!” said a voice. “Pardon me!”

The Queen turned to see a small woman with red hair squeezing through the door to the stairs, smiling apologetically at the silky she was passing. Stepping into the room, the girl scanned the shop, spotting Ray quickly and grinning broadly.

The Queen glanced at the boy. His expression was awestruck. Hmm. Perhaps he was a better actor than she’d given him credit for.

Turning her attention back to the human, she saw that the creature’s smile had now faded. She was a pretty thing, to be sure. Her face was sprinkled with freckles, and her body was pleasantly curvy. Her lacy black dress accentuated her voluptuous hips, and small silver hoops adorned her delicate ears.

Very pretty indeed.

She stopped at Ray’s side. “You’ve done too much.” Her voice was low. “I don’t need all this.”

“But you should have it. I want you to have it.”

“As do I.” The Queen smiled her most benevolent smile. “You are under my hospitality, and I intend to give you the best.”

The human’s brow furrowed. Ah. Naturally, she would be confused. She wouldn’t know who she was speaking to.

Easily fixed. The Queen lifted her chin regally. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Queen of the Mint Court, your benefactress during your stay here. I’m so pleased to finally meet you.”

“Your Majesty. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Ah, the girl knew of her already. Excellent. Ray was preparing her well. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” the Queen prompted.

“MC.”

Ah, that was a disappointment. It was not a true name, she could tell right away. How annoying to find that the mortal used a nickname. But no matter, she would uncover it all in time.

“MC. A pleasure. And what have you heard about me?”

“Ray told me that you’re the one who is providing all these beautiful things. I feel honored that so much thought was put into my needs. And I think you must be very kind if you arranged for all this delicious food for me and Ray.”

Oh. Ray. She supposed the mortal would not understand that Ray’s place was too low to earn such food, and if she were to explain, the girl might lose respect for him. That wouldn’t do. The girl needed to hold him in high esteem for the plan to work.

“Yes, of course.” she replied smoothly. “I hope both of you enjoy this food.”

Now the girl smiled. “Thank you. I’m sure we will.”

Good, very good. The Queen was glad to see that smile. As a Queen, she knew she could be intimidating, but her power was strongest when her followers felt comfortable with her, when they believed they were special.

Yes, this was going well. Dismissing the girl, she turned her attention back to Ray, crooking a finger at him. “My child, come speak with me.”

He followed her through the flowers to the other side of the shop. When they were hidden by the greenery, she turned to him.

“I’m very pleased, Ray. I have only one question. Have you learned the human’s true name?”

He paused for the briefest of moments, then shook his head with certainty. “No, my Queen.”

“No?”

“She hasn’t told me.”

“Pity.” That was a shame. “But you will find out for me, won’t you?”

“Yes, of course I will. Thank you, my Queen. I’m so happy I could please you.”

She smiled one last time. Yes, it was all going splendidly. And the mortal was prettier than she’d expected. A charming little thing. Perhaps she had the wrong idea in offering the human to Ray as a pet.

Perhaps, once it was tamed, she should keep the creature for herself.

With that pleasant thought, she waved one arm, summoning the mint smoke that teleported her away.

 

* * *

 

Ray couldn’t get back to Charlotte’s side fast enough. “She’s allowing me to eat with you!”

She grinned up at him, and as always, the sight of her smile sent a thrill through him. “Imagine that.”

He wanted to kiss her, wanted it so bad he could almost taste her lips on his. “It’s because of you. I know it is. You’re so good to me. You’re an angel.”

Her eyes turned sad. “I’m not an angel. I’m just me.”

If only he could hold her now. If only he had that right. He ached to feel her arms around him again. More than anything, he longed for her touch.

Biting her lip, Charlotte looked away. “Ray? Can I pick a flower?”

“Of course,” he said instantly. “Any flower you want.”

Belatedly, he realized that some flowers were not to leave the shop, but she was already turning away, heading deliberately down one aisle, and he decided he didn’t care what she chose; he would let her have it.

He followed her. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, exactly what she was looking for. At the end of the aisle she stopped and removed one flower from the bin in front of her.

Ambrosia.

Suddenly shy, she held the blossom out to him. “It’s for you.” Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear it. “I want you to have it.”

Shock froze him in place, and his heart nearly burst from his chest.

Was this real? Could it really be…

No, no, that was impossible. It couldn’t be what he thought. There was no way she could know what that flower meant. He did his best to dislodge the hope that had taken root in his chest, but it was planted too deeply to push it out.

Her eyes flickered up to his face, then down to the flower. “You don’t want it?”

He wanted it, oh, he wanted it. Suddenly he realized that she was waiting for him to take it while he stood there like a moron. Quickly, he reached for the flower, and his hand closed around hers.

“Do you know what this is?” His voice was hoarse. She didn’t, of course she didn’t, but he had to ask.

“It’s an ambrosia flower. Right?” She bit her lip again. “Did I pick the wrong one?”

“No. No, you’re right.” He hesitated, unsure, then blurted, “Do you know what it means?”

With a deep breath, she looked into his eyes. “It means ‘your love is returned.”

He couldn’t breathe. Impossible. Impossible.

Her voice was a whisper. “It means I love you, too.”

She…

she...

loved him.

She loved him.

Impossible, impossible, impossible. But she’d said it, and she wouldn’t lie.

He couldn’t hold back, not anymore. A dam broke inside him, and every emotion, every desire, every wish that he’d been holding back since he met her burst through in a rush. Surging forward, he found her lips with his own and kissed her hard, pouring all his emotion into it. _Charlotte, Charlotte._ Her gasp made his heart skip a beat, and then her lips moved against his, and he was lost. All he could feel was the pleasure of her kiss, the pleasure of her body pressed against his, the pleasure of her love washing over him.

 _I love you, too._ The most beautiful words in the world. So much more than he’d ever dared to dream of. So much more than he deserved.

When she broke away, panting, he rested his forehead against hers. “Was it the tulip?” he whispered. “That’s how you knew?”

“Yes.”

“You know the language of flowers?”

“I looked it up on my phone.”

He didn’t know phones could do that.

Charlotte kissed him again, just a brief press of lips, sending another wave of bliss through him. “You were telling me you loved me, right? With the tulip?”

“Yes.” His voice was shaking. His whole body was shaking. “I love you, Charlotte. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Ray.”

Careful of the flower he still held, he pressed his hands against her back, pulling her closer to claim her lips once more. She loved him. He could kiss her now, because she loved him. He didn’t have to worry about whether she wanted it or not. He knew now that she did. She longed for him the way he longed for her.

“You won’t leave me?” he murmured against her lips.

“I never want to leave you.”

He’d never dreamed this happiness was possible. This much joy — could a faery die from such a thing? It seemed like he should, and yet he kept breathing, and his heart kept beating. He’d been granted the most incredible gift in the world, and in that moment, he swore to himself that he’d do anything to protect her.

 

* * *

 

It was Monday. Sarah stalked the hallways of the office building, searching for the telltale red hair of the human woman that had ruined her life. She had to come here. Sooner or later, she would come, and Sarah would have her.

She hoped it was sooner rather than later.

She’d received a message that morning from the daoine sidhe in the brown suit, the man with the friendly amber eyes and trustworthy smile, the one the fae spoke of as the King of No Court. Not a true king, not a royal, but as powerful as a king and impossible to ignore. At the crack of dawn, a pixy had come to her with a message from him. She had one week to find the human woman before her sister was gone forever.

She turned a corner and headed down a corridor she’d walked through many times before. This time it wasn’t empty. A man with black hair in an expensive-looking suit was carefully attaching a sign to a door. He stepped back to examine it, then adjusted it until it was perfectly aligned.

“Excuse me,” she said.

The man turned disinterested eyes towards her.

“I’m looking for a woman. A short woman with red hair. Have you seen her?”

“Ah. You must mean Charlotte.”

Charlotte? “Yes, I believe that’s the name. Do you know where I can find her?”

“She’ll be out of the office for a few days.”

Dammit.

“Do you have business with her?”

Oh, did she ever. “Of a sort. Do you know where she is?”

“I’m afraid not.” He glanced at his watch. “If your business is important, you can call her. Her number is on the door.”

Call, no. Technology and faeries did not mix well together. “I’m called Sarah,” she told the man. “Are you friends with Charlotte?”

“Yes, friends and colleagues in the RFA. I’m afraid I must be going. It’s been seventeen seconds longer than I meant to stay already.”

Shit. “Wait a minute. Won’t you at least tell me your name?”

He blinked at her, unimpressed. “Jumin Han.”

Yes. His name. His _full name_ from his own lips.

“Jumin Han,” she repeated.

He froze, his eyes suddenly going wide.

Sarah laughed. “Jumin Han. Oh, this is going to be fun.”


	12. Heliotrope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the fluff while you can, lovely readers!

Ray had lost so much time dealing with the silkies and brownies today, but it was necessary. Charlotte needed nice things, and now she had them. His home had become a lovely place for her to stay. She had beautiful clothes to dress herself in, and when he saw her wearing the clothing he’d given her, his chest filled with pride for making her happy. She had scarcely stopped smiling since… since…

Since he’d kissed her. Well, he could scarcely stop smiling, either. Now, though — now he needed to work harder than ever. He had to catch up so that his Queen was still pleased with him. It was so important. As long as he had her Majesty’s approval, he wouldn’t lose the right to take care of Charlotte.

And Charlotte loved him. 

It was a miracle. It went against all reason, but it was true. He was ecstatic. He was terrified. He’d never had so much joy in his life. He’d never had so much to lose.

“Ray? Can I help you with your work?”

Her voice startled him out of his thoughts. “What?”

She stood on the other side of the counter, gazing at him. “You work so hard. Can’t I help you a little?”

“Oh. No.” The idea worried him. “I have to do it myself. My Queen will be so mad.”

Her brow furrowed. “Surely there’s  _ something _ I can do.”

She didn’t understand. “I can’t — I have to put the arrangements together myself. It’s my job. It’s how I’m useful.”

“But I have nothing else to do here. I’ll get bored.” She paused, considering. “If I can’t make arrangements, maybe you can tell me what flowers you need, and I’ll bring them to you. That will save you time, right?”

It would definitely save him time. But was it okay for him to have help? Would her Majesty object?

“I don’t know… my Queen…”

She tilted her head. “I’d be helping her, too, if it means she gets her flowers faster, right? Don’t you think I should help her if I can?”

That… that made sense…

He couldn’t think of any reason to object. If it would help his Queen… “I need some heliotrope,” he said quietly, trying not to sound nervous. “Would you bring it to me? It’s down the third aisle, on the right, fourth display from the end. Six stems, please?”

Her grin lit up the room, and she hurried away in the direction of the flowers. The way she walked was so lovely — half a jog, bouncing as she went. She returned quickly, offering the flowers with a wordless smile.

Feeling suddenly shy, he took the purple blooms from her hand and separated one stem from the bunch, handing it back to her. “For you.”

She ducked her head, beaming bashfully as she took it, then looked up from under her lashes, a question in her eyes.

His answer came out quieter than he intended. “It means ‘devotion.’”

Her lips parted, and the joy in her face made his heart skip a beat. “I should give you one of these, too.”

He was truly the luckiest person in the world. “You don’t have to,” he told her. “I don’t need you to give me that message. I already know.”

Because that was the person she was. She wouldn’t betray him. She wouldn’t lie. He’d never thought to find such a person, but it was impossible to know Charlotte and not see her loyalty, her faithful nature. It was one of the many things he loved so much about her.

She was so much more than he deserved, and he knew he would do anything for her. Anything at all.

 

* * *

 

She helped him all afternoon, bringing him flowers and supplies, and the time it saved shocked him. He’d expected to be up all night working to catch up, losing even his three hours of sleep, but now he thought he might actually finish with the days orders… in time to get a full night’s rest. A whole night of sleep; could that really happen?

At one point, she disappeared upstairs, and he thought she must have gotten tired of working, but in a half hour she returned, bearing two bowls of rice and vegetables. With an apologetic smile, she handed one bowl to him. “I never cooked over a hearth like that before. I hope it’s okay.”

He was stunned. “You cooked for me?”

“Of course.”

No, oh no. That wasn’t right. “I should have done that for you,” he said in alarm.

“You were working so hard, and you do so much for me. I want to do things for you, too.”

Tears stung his eyes. “You think I’m worth that?”

She nodded, but he thought there was sorrow in her expression. “You’re worth that, and so much more.”

Impossible. So much of what she said was impossible. And yet —

“My Queen told me that this wouldn’t last forever.” His voice was barely more than a whisper. “That I would prove myself one day. And now — she’s allowing you to stay with me. She’s letting me eat good food. Maybe soon I can have a better life, a life with more comfort. Do you think — do you think I can have that?”

She looked like she might cry. “I would give it to you now if I could.”

No, he didn’t want her to cry. He couldn’t have her sad because of him. “You give me so much. I didn’t know I could be happy. Now — this is beyond happiness. This is what paradise must be like.”

She blinked, wiping her eye with the back of her hand.

“I want to cook for you, too.” He’d had this fantasy ever since she agreed to stay. “Tomorrow, I want to make breakfast for you. Can I do that; will you let me do that?”

She laughed, but her eyes were still sad. “Yes, I would like that very much.”

 

* * *

 

They sat on the counter again, their bowls in their laps, eating and talking... and laughing. He couldn’t remember laughing before. Every time the sound spilled from his lips, he felt rather strange, but Charlotte drew such happiness from him that he couldn’t help it if he tried.

When the conversation came to a natural lull, she spoke hesitantly. “Ray?”

“Yes?”

She tilted her head, brow furrowed. “You’ve told me not to accept gifts from any fae other than you. You said that I could lose my freedom.”

“That’s right.”

“But all those faeries today, brownies and… silkies? What is a silky exactly?”

“A household faery. Much like a brownie, but silkies are all female, and much more attractive.”

One eyebrow shot up.

“What?” he said, feeling self-conscious.

She opened her mouth, then closed it, frowning, and shook her head. “We have to talk about that later. I don’t want to forget my question.”

Whatever she wanted was fine. “I’ll tell you everything I can.”

She pursed her lips. “Well, all those silkies and brownies — they all brought me things. If I use them, won’t I lose my freedom?”

“No,” he answered immediately. “Those things came from me.”

“But they were the ones who brought them—”

“—and I was the one who chose them. It was my will that you have them. They’re my gift to you, not theirs.”

Her frown only deepened. “That queen thinks they’re from her.”

“That’s — they are, in a way, but not the way you’re thinking. She gave  _ me _ the job of taking care of you. She put the choices into my hands, gave me control of it. The silkies and brownies didn’t choose what you would have, and neither did my Queen. You’re safe.”

“I’m safe… because I’m not in your queen’s hands.”

“Yes.”

She tilted her head. “Then doesn’t that mean that if I  _ were _ in her hands… I wouldn’t be safe?”

Ray blinked.

That — 

She— 

He opened his mouth to answer her, then closed it, speechless.

Charlotte said nothing either, regarding him patiently.

He found his voice, not sure what words would come out, but speaking all the same. “It’s not — I mean — she just doesn’t understand yet. She doesn’t know how special you are. But she will! I’ll explain it to her. And she’ll spend time with you, and she’ll see it for herself.”

“I’ll be safe because I’m special.”

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you, not if it’s in my power to stop them.” Oh, if only he had more power! If only he were better…!

She examined his face, as if searching for some kind of answers written in his features. “Then… if I were some other person, another human — someone you didn’t love, someone who wasn’t  _ special… _ I’d never be safe with her.”

No. That… 

that was…

that was… 

right.

She lowered her chin and looked up at him. “If I wasn’t special, Ray… what would she do with me?”

“I don’t know.” His head was starting to hurt. “She’d make you a pet. Keep you locked up, or make you serve her. Whatever her whim fancied.”

“And do you… do you think that’s right?”

“No,” he said immediately. His temples began to throb.

“But you support the queen.”

He raised his hands to his head, trying to fight off the growing pain there. “That’s — no, no. You can’t say… I can’t think these things. They’re dangerous.” It was getting hard to breathe. “You don’t understand…”

He didn’t understand, either. The pieces didn’t fit in his brain. She was his Queen; she had to be right.  _ He _ had to be the one who was wrong.

He looked at Charlotte. Her eyes were full of worry.

And he knew he wasn’t wrong.

A stabbing pain hit him right between the eyes, and he lurched forward in agony, nearly falling off the counter. His bowl tumbled from his lap, landing with a shattering crash. In an instant, she caught him, her arms tight around his body. A second crash told him that her own bowl had fallen, too.

_ Traitor. Traitor! _

He clutched at his head.  _ Oh gods, oh gods. Make it stop, please make it stop. _

“Ray.” Her frightened voice was close to his ear. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to think about it now, okay? Let’s talk about something else.”

Her voice was so soothing, like gentle music in his ears. “Something else?” he croaked.

“Let’s talk about — how much I love you.”

Heart jumping in his chest, he lift his head. The pain lightened, just a little, but enough that he could think again.

Apparently reassured that he wouldn’t fall, Charlotte loosened her grip on his body, reaching up to stroke her fingers along his cheek. “Shall I tell you what I love about you?”

He couldn’t speak.  _ Yes. Please. _

“There are so many things. I love the way you talk. I could listen to you talk about the things you love for hours. The sky is more beautiful to me because I can see it through your eyes. The flowers are brighter. Ice cream is sweeter. You talk about them with so much love; I can’t help but love them, too.

“I love your shyness. You think before you speak, and you mean every word you say. I love that you listen when I talk to you, and you remember the things I tell you. I love the thought you put into the gifts you gave me. The clothing is exactly my style. The furniture is just what I would have chosen myself. You care so much about who I am, and it shows in everything you do.”

His headache was nearly gone.

“I love the little disbelieving chuckle in your voice when I say something that makes you happy. I love the expression in your eyes when you look at flowers, or — or when you look at me. It makes me want you to look at me forever, makes me want to always be at your side.”

“Charlotte,” he breathed.

She tilted her head, and the adoration in her eyes took his breath away. “I love you, Ray, everything about you. I love you for who you are.”

The Voice was silent, but he could feel its presence in the back of his head, listening.

This wasn’t the time to worry about the Voice. Reaching for her, he pulled her into his arms and pressed little kisses to the top of her head. “I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” he breathed.

“Yes.” Her contented sigh sent waves of happiness through him. “I feel it, too.”

 

* * *

 

Turning off the RFA app, Luciel set down his phone and leaned back in his chair, irrationally grateful that he hadn’t been online during the chat he’d just read. He had a terrible feeling that something awful was going to happen.

Jumin was engaged.

That — well, it was strange, but it didn’t explain why Luciel’s instincts screamed danger when he read the words. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. He couldn’t explain it, but he knew it was true.

According to the chat logs, Yoosung was going to meet Jumin’s new fiancee, a woman called Sarah, for lunch tomorrow. Luciel picked up his phone again, quickly tapping out a text.

_ I don’t think you should meet Jumin’s fiancee. _

About a minute later, he got a reply.  _ What? Why not? _

_ We don’t know anything about her. I’ll run a background check. Wait for me to finish it. _

His phone pinged again quickly.  _ That’s crazy. Jumin’s going to marry her. Why would she hurt any of us? _

How could he explain this feeling of foreboding? His fingers flew over the screen.  _ Why does she want to marry Jumin so suddenly? She must have an agenda. _

This time, five minutes went by before Yoosung answered.  _ Okay, run your background check. But tell me what you find before noon tomorrow, okay? Because then I’m gonna go. I don’t want Jumin to get mad. _

Less than twenty-four hours. Luciel supposed that should be enough.

But the dread in his gut refused to go away.

 

* * *

 

The King of No Court sat at his desk, drumming his fingers on the wood. He’d given the gwyllion too much time. He should have simply disposed of both sisters and brought in someone new. Still, he was a man of his word. The gwyllion had a week.

But the instant the clock struck midnight on the last day, she was gone.

His particular gifts weren’t well known to the world, not the specifics. The fae only knew that they liked him and wanted to please him. The reasons for that were secret, unknown. And his gift of prophecy — no other living being had knowledge of that.

Which meant nobody knew why he was searching for the Two.

 

_ Two children, spawn of the Courtless King _

_ Grown children, hidden away _

_ One languishing among the mundane _

_ One chained amidst magic and dreams _

_ But on the day the Great Comet burns the sky _

_ Both will be the downfall of the Father _

 

He’d known nothing of the children’s existence until the prophecy came, and he cursed now that he didn’t know more. But there was one thing he did know: only one faery in existence was immune to his magic, which meant only one could have hidden the brats. 

The former King of the Mint Court. The who called himself V.

That was why his pixies were following the exiled king. When V broke his routine five days ago to visit that mortal, that was why the Not-King took note. The change had to mean something, and it revolved around the human woman. Whatever V was hiding, this girl was connected. 

There was no way of knowing if the girl was one of the Two, glamoured to hide her true nature, but the pixy who found her had sensed magic lingering on her, and that roused enough suspicion to warrant pursuit. If she wasn’t one of the Two, she had to be related to the mystery in some way. She held the key to the secret, and the Not-King would find the truth.

He had to. His time was running out.


	13. Nasturtiums

The next few days were heavenly. Ray woke up with Charlotte at his side, exchanged a few small, sweet kisses, then got up to make her breakfast, talking and listening to her talk. They ate omelettes or oatmeal with fruit and drank fresh, cold milk. After breakfast, they went downstairs to the shop, and Charlotte brought what he needed while he focused on work. She took a break at lunchtime to bring him some food, soup or sandwiches or the like, and they sat on the counter while they ate as had become their custom. Just before dinner time, he finished up his work, and they ate upstairs at the new table and chairs. 

At bedtime, he curled up next to her in the pretty new bed, and they shared a few innocent kisses before drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms.

Life couldn’t get any better than this.

 

* * *

 

Three days after her first visit, the Queen decided it was time to check in with Ray again. That evening, she materialized in the shop to find it inexplicably empty. The counter was clean and packed up, and there was no sign of Ray or the human who called herself MC.

Her first reaction was fear. Someone must have gotten to Ray. They must have found out who he was, taken him away — he could be anywhere—

Then she heard footsteps above her head.

Her fear turned to relief, which turned to anger. So he was here, and he didn’t feel it necessary to work. The silkies hadn’t reported any decrease in his productivity, but there was no doubt that he’d quit early today. If he’d left for a brief time to attend to the mortal, that would be one thing. But his station was entirely packed up. 

He was shirking his duties in the most blatant manner possible, and it was entirely unacceptable.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Fuming, she headed for the stairs and marched straight up.

When she opened the door to his little kitchen, the sight before her stopped her in her tracks. Ray and the woman were seated across from each other at the little table, empty plates in front of them, their hands entwined as they giggled at some shared joke. The look on MC’s face was full of admiration, as it should be, but when the Queen’s eyes fell on Ray, she felt a sharp jolt to her system.

There was no mistaking the intense adoration in the way he gazed at her. He watched the mortal girl with a reverence that went far beyond any look he’d ever given his Queen.

Something wrenched in her stomach. This was… this was…

Intolerable. 

Unconsciously, she began fiddling with the ring on her finger. Perhaps this was her own fault. Clearly, she had miscalculated here. She’d overestimated Ray’s ability to handle the human. The creature was mortal, after all — what faery could possible view a human as an equal, let alone more? And yet Ray had clearly allowed MC’s pretty face to scramble his wits. Alas, she should have known better. She should have seen that he would be weak against the girl’s charms.

This situation should never have begun in the first place. Putting Ray in charge of the project was a clear mistake. Certainly, a mortal with the ability to see through glamour was an inevitable pawn, and if she hadn’t captured this chess piece herself, someone else would have. But Ray lacked the strength to deal with a creature this lovely. The Queen should have recognized that from the beginning.

Yes, it was her fault, really. But she’d make up for it now.

“Ray,” she said, in the firmest voice she had.

Both Ray and the girl turned to look at her, surprise on their faces. Of course. They’d been so lost in each other they hadn’t even noticed the arrival of their Queen.

Completely insupportable.

Ray blinked, then scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair. “My Queen!”

MC rose as well, eyes fixed on the Queen’s face.

She would deal with the human in a moment. For now, she focused on the boy. “Why are you not working?”

He raised a hand to his heart. “I — I’ve finished for the day, your Majesty. All the orders are completed and waiting to be picked up.”

Finished? “What?  _ All _ of them?”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

That was impossible. Wasn’t it?

She hesitated only a moment before replying smoothly, “Then it seems I haven’t given you enough orders. Tomorrow I’ll be certain to increase your workload. Perhaps more arrangements with nasturtiums. Conquest spells are always valuable. You do want to be useful, don’t you?”

“Of course.” His response was immediate. “I always want to be as useful as possible to you.”

The response was correct, but bitterness soured it in her ears. “Do you, Ray? Who do you imagine you’re being useful to now?”

His mouth opened, then closed. “I’m caring for MC, as you commanded, my Queen. Have… have I done wrong?”

Her anger bubbled in her chest, but she forced herself to be calm so she could carefully choose her words. “Caring for MC is one thing. But you’ll suffocate her if you force her to be in your presence so much.” She turned a captivating smile on the girl before her. “Alas, Ray is not used to being around one so charming as you. I’m afraid he has much to learn.”

“I’m not suffocated.” The human reached for Ray’s hand, and the Queen bit back a frown, keeping her face sweetly apologetic. “I want to be with Ray as much as I can.”

A gentle laugh now. “Such kindness. My dear girl, you don’t have to say such things. But please don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure the child stops clinging to you in such a way.” Oh, would she ever.

Ray seemed to shrink in on himself. “I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”

“Will you?” She greatly doubted it. Left to his own devices, he would continue to fall deeper into the mortal’s sway, and that wouldn’t do at all. “You say that you will, but I’ve heard that before. Empty promises hold no weight with me, Ray.”

He lowered his eyes to the floor. “Yes, my Queen.”

The girl’s voice cut through the moment. “You’re kidding, right?”

The Queen fixed her eyes on MC now. It was time to deal with the mortal fool. She suspected that the girl meant no harm, that the power of the faery world had simply entranced her until she didn’t know what she was doing. That should be easy to fix. She only needed to be exposed to something even more entrancing.

For example… a Queen.

“I’m afraid there’s no joke. Ray is a troublesome child, you will find. But no matter. He need not concern us. I’ve decided to take you away from this place. To bring you to paradise.”

Ray drew in a breath, but the Queen ignored him.

MC squared her shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The words shocked her to her core. “I beg your pardon?”

The girl’s stare didn’t falter. “I agreed to stay temporarily with Ray in this flower shop. I never agreed to anything else. If I can’t stay here, then I’m going home.”

The Queen was not used to being struck speechless, but she was now.

She saw MC’s fingers tighten around Ray’s hand, saw the boy exhale shakily, and rage simmered in her stomach. Who did this human think she was, to steal her child’s loyalties? What could possibly be going through Ray’s mind, to put a human on a pedestal and divide his attention from his Queen?

Insufferable. She would not allow it.

But she must be calm now. She couldn’t take MC away, not without her permission, nor could she let the creature go, but that didn’t mean she was without options. So she gave them both a magnanimous smile. “I’m sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to getting to know you, MC. But if this is where you want to be, then of course you can stay.”

MC’s hard expression didn’t soften. How disagreeable.

“It will be difficult, of course. Since this place won’t be as safe as it was.”

Ray’s eyes widened. “What?”

Yes, good. “Ray, I’m afraid I’ll have to send some customers to the shop to explain what they need directly. I’ll have my silky messenger tomorrow bring you the list of who to let in, along with the extra orders to fill your time, since you seem to have so much of it.”

The fear in his face, the concern for MC’s safety, was at once satisfying and detestable. “Are you sure these customers are safe, my Queen? You’re sure none of them are V’s spies?”

“Not at all. That’s why I wanted to take MC away, for her own safety. But if she won’t go…”

Immediately, he turned to the human. “Please, if she can keep you safe—”

“Can she, Ray? Will I be safe with her?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

The Queen didn’t understand. Why was he not reassuring the girl? Surely he couldn’t be doubting—

No. Impossible. This couldn’t be happening.

Ray...

The Queen took a deep breath, calming herself. The first thing to do was to separate him from the human that was such a bad influence. Ray had shown his Queen unwavering loyalty since she’d rescued him, and that couldn’t be shaken so easily. Removed from MC’s presence, he would remember who took care of him. He would remember who loved him.

“If MC won’t go,” she began, “then she’ll be exposed to the others. There’s nothing for it. Unless—” a tilt of the head, a widening of the eyes “—she stays up here, in your living quarters. If she doesn’t go down into the shop proper, I don’t see why she wouldn’t be safe.”

Ray’s whole body slumped with relief. “Yes. Yes, thank you, my Queen.”

MC’s glare was hot, burning into the Queen’s eyes. Oh, that rebellious attitude would have to be beaten out of her.

She would show the human who had the most sway here. “Ray. Repeat your vows to me.”

“Yes.” He nodded quickly. “‘For the Mint Court’s paradise, I solemnly swear upon all my wounds that I will stay by your side until the end, my Queen.’”

MC’s grip on the child’s hand now was visibly tight.

“Excellent. Then it’s settled. MC will stay up here, and Ray, I will send you extra work in the morning.”

“Yes, your Majesty. Thank you for your generosity.”

Good, very good. She would have all this back under her control in no time.

With a sweet smile to MC, the Queen waved her hand and transported herself away.

 

* * *

 

“I told you.” That grateful, honored smile hadn’t left Ray’s face. “I told you my Queen was generous.”

Charlotte wanted to cry for him. “We’re not going to see each other. Without my help, and with extra work, you’ll be down there all day and night. Because your queen decided to send dangerous faeries here.”

“I’m sure she was doing what she had to do. And she made sure you were safe. It’ll all be okay now.”

“But the extra work.” She knew she shouldn’t say this, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. “She doesn’t think you deserve time off.”

“No.” He shook his head vehemently. “She’s giving me the opportunity to be more useful. To prove myself even more.”

_ You shouldn’t have to prove yourself, _ she wanted to say, but the frightened look on his face made her stop. She was pushing this too hard. More than anything, she wanted to open his eyes, to show him his inherent worth, but if she pushed against the queen this way, she would only hurt him. In her mind’s eye, she saw him doubled over in pain, the way he’d been the last time she’d questioned the queen. She had to take this slow, or she would only make things worse.

God, she hoped she could help him. She hoped he wasn’t too far gone to be saved.

Taking the hand she still held, she lifted it to her heart. “Let’s not think about it now. We have tonight together. I just want to think about you.”

His lips parted. “Me?”

“Yes.”

Hesitantly, he reached out with his other hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “I want to think about you, too.”

She didn’t know who moved first, but they came together in a warm embrace, her head against his chest, his cheek resting on the top of her head. He stroked her hair, and she pressed her palms against his back, letting one of them rub up and down soothingly.

“I’ll do my work so fast tomorrow. You’ll see. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.”

She closed her eyes, praying that he was right, that everything would be okay, but she couldn’t make herself believe it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t push away the fear that he was very, very wrong.

 

* * *

 

Three days, and Sarah was no closer to finding the female redhead than she had been at the start. Her pretense of marrying Jumin granted her the opportunity to meet three of his fellow “RFA” members — a boy named Yoosung, a mousy woman named Jaehee, and a man handsome enough to be sidhe who went by the nickname Zen. From Jumin, she’d gotten their names, but unfortunately not from their own mouths. The majority of a name’s power came from the particular pronunciation of its owner, so what she had was all but worthless.

Worse, none of them had any idea where the human named Charlotte was. Apparently the woman was using her phone to communicate with them but keeping her location a secret. There was no doubt she was hiding now.

There was only one RFA member she had yet to meet, and he was proving elusive. Perhaps that meant that he was closer to the truth. She couldn’t wait any longer for Jumin to entice the one called Luciel (not a true name, although Jumin believed it was) into agreeing for a meeting. More drastic measures were called for.

Her time was running out.

 

* * *

 

A background check on Jumin’s fiance proved impossible. There was no information to check. Jumin didn’t know her last name (he didn’t know her last name, what was he  _ thinking _ ?), and he refused to share a picture of her. Despite her claim to have business with Charlotte, there was nothing in Char’s records about a woman named Sarah. She appeared to have materialized out of thin air.

By now, she’d met the rest of the RFA, and Jumin was becoming insistent that Luciel meet her as well. He was running out of excuses, but he would absolutely not go anywhere near this woman. His fear was irrational but unshakeable. It didn’t matter that the best way to learn about her was to see her in person. He refused to do it. 

He only hoped she wouldn’t find him anyway.


	14. Blue Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my readers! Thank you for staying with me this far, and for all your lovely comments and kudos! 
> 
> ETA: I've started a new work for chapters with explicit sexual content. You can totally ignore them -- they're additional, not necessary -- but I'm writing them to explore the relationship dynamics, so if that interests you, take a look. There is now a chapter that comes before this one. If you so choose (and you're of age to consume this media), [Chapter 13a is here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15292206/chapters/35476968).
> 
> Back to this chapter:
> 
> This chapter is turning decidedly angsty, so please be prepared for that, and check out the updated tags. **Content warning** : this chapter contains coerced drug use, sleep deprivation, and emotional/psychological abuse. All canon-typical.

 

Ray awoke in the morning to the sound of banging. He shot up in bed, blinking sleep away, heart pounding against his ribs.

Next to him, Charlotte stirred. “Ray?”

The banging came again, louder. Someone was beating on the door downstairs. Gods, he must have overslept! The Queen’s messenger had arrived, and he wasn’t ready. He knew it, he knew he shouldn’t have been slacking! 

Then reason swept over him, and he realized it was still dark outside. His internal clock told him that it was only about four in the morning. The silky wasn’t due for three more hours. 

Why…?

Charlotte sat up, wrapping an arm around his waist, and his heart skipped a beat. “I don’t suppose you can ignore it,” she murmured.

“No.” Oh, how he wished he could. “It could be an important messenger from my Queen. It could be one of the customers that she sent. It must be important—”

Sliding from her grasp, aching at the loss of her touch, he got to his feet and rushed from the room. The pounding came again, and this time it didn’t stop.

He picked up his speed, stumbling on the stairs and nearly falling. Regaining his balance, he ran into the shop and made a beeline for the door.  Yanking it open, he found one of the Queen’s regular silky messengers on the other side, looking extremely annoyed.

He let out a breath. “You’re early.”

“I’m not. Her Majesty told me to come at once. I have your orders for the day.” Her lip curled in disdain. “You should have answered immediately.”

He frowned. There was some kind of misunderstanding. He would have to report it to his Queen — and let her know of this messenger’s disrespectful manner. She would take care of it.

“Fine.” He held out his hand, and the silky put a scroll into it that was much heavier than usual. “I’ll talk to the Queen about your rudeness later.”

She raised an eyebrow. “If you say so. This is also for you.”

And she pulled a heart-shaped vial from her pocket.

Ray’s breath caught.

Faery elixir. He hadn’t had cause to take that since he was new to his Queen’s rule. He didn’t need it anymore, he was a good boy…

“That?” he croaked.

“She says you’re to take it all.”

Anger at the messenger’s rudeness swept over him. “Fine,” he barked, snatching the elixir from her hand, then slammed the door in her face.

Trying to catch his breath, he turned back toward the shop. Anguish swept over him, and his head fell back to rest against the wood of the heavy door. 

Elixir. Not again.

He’d thought he was good. He’d done everything his Queen had asked of him. What… Why…?

The last few days. Shame heated his cheeks as he thought of it. He’d been bad. He should have told his Queen that he was finishing early; he should have asked for more work — he should have — he should have—

He should have been better. He should have been useful.

Okay. He took a shaky breath to calm himself. It would be okay. He would work twice as hard now. It didn’t matter that he had more work than usual with no help from Charlotte. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t see her. That was just today. He would work twice, no, sixteen times as hard and get everything done. He would prove to his Queen that he was still good, still useful. He would be better. He would. He would.

With shaking hands, he removed the cork from the bottle in his hands and raised it to his lips. His hesitation lasted only a moment, and then he downed the contents quickly, letting the bitter liquid slide down his throat.

Immediately a sharp pain stabbed him between the eyes. He gasped for breath, head falling forward into his hands. He had to think. He had to  _ think _ . His frame shuddered as he tried to focus through the haze of agony. His body felt frighteningly light, as if he’d lost his tether to the world and might float away at any moment.

_ You’re weak. You’re pathetic! _

Yes, he was pathetic— 

_ Get to work.  _ **_Get to work! Don’t you know what’s at stake?_ **

Work. Yes! He had to — the flowers —

He staggered to the back of the shop and opened the scroll with spasming hands, laying it on the counter. Gods, it was so long, it was too long—

_ Not too long. You’re just too weak! Idiot! You’re a moron! _

A moron. It was true. He couldn’t even do what his Queen asked of him. He wasn’t worthy to be here if he couldn’t serve her properly. He wasn’t worthy of her generosity— 

Squinting frantically at the scroll, he made his eyes focus enough to read the first order. When his brain finally processed it, he stumbled away towards the flowers. He would get this done. He had to. 

Everything depended on it.

 

* * *

 

Ray never came back to bed, and Charlotte never fell back asleep. When the sun rose, she got up and dressed herself in the beautiful clothing he’d given her. Searching the achingly empty room, her eyes fell on his jacket and vest folded neatly on the dresser. He’d gone down to the shop wearing only the trousers and shirt he’d been sleeping in. 

Gently, she brushed her fingers over the petals of the blue rose pinned to the magenta jacket. It symbolized the impossible, the unattainable, he’d told her once. If she was right, if he was enchanting his flowers — what kind of spell had he put on himself?

She wanted to crush the boutonniere, but she knew he’d only make a new one, and that would be just another piece of work added to the pile.

Utterly miserable, she stepped into the small kitchen and opened the cupboard, preparing to make breakfast, hoping he’d come up to join her. She wanted to go to him in the shop, but he’d made her promise to stay upstairs, and she had told him she wouldn’t lie.

She was trapped.

 

* * *

 

He didn’t come up.

At noon, she made lunch for the two of them, but he never appeared. She waited as long as she could before hunger won out, and she started eating alone. 

As she was finishing up her sandwich, a tendril of green smoke curled in the corner, growing until it was a cloud, and then the queen stood in the midst of it, blond curls waving around her face, looking down on Charlotte regally as the smoke faded away.

Charlotte didn’t stand up. She felt empty inside, looking at this woman who was systematically destroying the life of the man she loved. In the back of her mind, anger was simmering, but she couldn’t entirely feel it. Mostly she felt — tired. Hopeless.

“MC. Are you well?”

What a question. “Not really. Ray hasn’t eaten today. Can’t you send him up here?”

The faery’s expression was sympathetic. Charlotte hated it. 

“This must be so hard for you. I understand. But it’s his choice whether to come up or keep working.” She shrugged. “Perhaps he believes his work is more important than you. I wouldn’t presume to interfere with that choice. But if you like, I’ll bring him some bread and water.”

Charlotte took a breath to calm herself. Nothing would come from snapping at the woman. “You could lighten his workload.”

“Dear MC. There’s so much you don’t understand. Ray’s work is necessary, and he understands that. But again, if you like, I’ll ask him if he wants me to lessen his work.”

Ray wouldn’t stand up to her to say yes, and they both knew it.

“Now. Is there anything you need? Anything I can bring you?”

She wouldn’t accept a thing from that woman. “Just Ray.”

The queen shook her head sadly. “We’ve discussed this already. Ray is making a choice. I’m not going to interfere with it.”

There was no way to win this argument. Desperately, Charlotte searched for a way to help him, anything at all, but she could think of nothing.

With a victorious smile that still somehow managed to be sweet, the queen nodded. “Will you hand me a slice of bread, then, and that glass of water?”

Charlotte took the sandwich she’d made him, along with the water she’d poured, and placed them in the woman’s hands.

With a frown, the queen took one slice of bread from the sandwich and handed the rest back. “I’ll go speak to Ray, then. And you have my word that I’ll address your concerns to him.”

Her anger was rising again, filling her chest. Looking at that queen’s smug face, all Charlotte could think was how badly she wanted to punch her.

Smiling once more, the queen turned her back and left, leaving Charlotte alone with her fury.

 

* * *

 

Ray’s eyes were bleary, but he wouldn’t stop, couldn’t stop. He arms ached from moving so much, his body screamed out for rest, but he ignored it all, pushing on. It was early afternoon, and he was only a quarter of the way through his day’s work. He had to do better, he had to work harder! He couldn’t be useless, he couldn’t!

“Ray.”

He jumped at the voice, jerking his head up to see his Queen standing before him, a gentle smile on her lips.

“I’m glad to see you working so hard.”

She was glad, he’d pleased her! “Yes, your Majesty! I’m working hard!”

She held out her hands, and he saw that she was holding a piece of bread and a cup of water. 

“For me?”

Her eyebrow lifted. “I trust that you’ve earned it.”

Ray looked at the scroll full of orders, heart sinking. “I…”

The sadness in her eyes made her disappointment clear. “You haven’t?”

No, oh no. “I’m trying, your Majesty. I’ll work harder. I’ll work so hard!”

With a sigh, she shook her head. “Well. Take it this time. And since you haven’t earned it, I expect you to make up for it.”

So generous. She must love him so much. Overcome with gratitude, he took the food from her hands. “Thank you, my Queen. Thank you.”

She nodded once, then tilted her head. “Tell me, Ray. Do you believe you have too much work?”

What did she mean? “I have as much work as you deemed necessary.”

“That’s right.” Her chin lifted. “Do you believe you should be less useful than this? Do you have the arrogance to believe you deserve to be lazy?”

Why was she saying such things? Was she losing faith in him? What had he done to make her to doubt? “Of course not, my Queen. I must be as useful as possible to you.” So that he could keep Charlotte with him. He needed to deserve her.

“And would you leave your duties to go slack off with the human upstairs?”

He shook his head vehemently. “I won’t go anywhere until I’ve completed all my work, your Majesty.”

She smiled. “That’s what I thought.” She reached into the pocket of her silk dress. “This is for you.”

For the briefest of moments, he thought he might receive a reward. Then he saw the heart-shaped bottle in her small, manicured fingers.

No. No.

“Ray? Is something wrong?”

He didn’t think he could speak, but he managed to croak, “I need that again?” 

“The elixir will make you stronger.”

Stronger. Yes. He needed to be stronger. He needed to protect Charlotte.

Hand trembling, he reached out and took the vial. Gods, he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t drink it, not again. It was too much, too much.

He uncorked the bottle and swallowed its contents quickly.

Immediately, the pain was back, slamming into his head, shooting through his body. He doubled over, collapsing on the counter, clutching his head in his hands.  _ Gods, no, no, no. Someone make it stop. Please, please… _

_ Charlotte… _

**_Weakling. Moron. Idiot!_ **

_ Make it stop, make it stop… _

“Good.” His Queen’s voice seemed to come from very far away, and with enormous effort, he raised his eyes to see her wave her hand. The ring on her finger glinted in the light before the mint smoke carried her away.

 

* * *

 

NIght had fallen. Charlotte lay in the pretty new bed, hoping beyond hope that Ray would come up and join her, praying that he wouldn’t work all night. Hours passed, and she didn’t sleep, thinking of him, worrying about him…

It was nearing sunrise before sleep claimed her against her will.

 

* * *

 

Ray was beyond exhaustion. He felt like he was dying. But he mustn’t sleep. He didn’t think he could keep his eyes open, and yet somehow he did, he did, he did... 

Finally, it was just too much. He was barely more than halfway through the day’s orders, but his body gave out. Leaning forward on his stool, he rested his head on the counter.  _ Just a short rest, _ he told himself.  _ I won’t sleep. I’ll just rest for a moment… _

The sound of banging on the door woke him. It was four o’clock. He’d slept for a whole hour. Horrified, he jerked himself awake, trying his best to regain his wits. 

The new day was about to begin.

 

* * *

 

“She still hasn’t come out of the flower shop.”

“No, boss.”

V raised a hand to his temple. This was his fault. All his fault. If only he’d been able to convince the Coordinator to escape. If only he hadn’t helped Rika to find such power. If only he’d been able to protect both those twins…

Vanderwood squinted. “You okay?”

“I’ll be okay when all this is solved. When everyone is saved.”

“Saving the whole world, then?”

“No. Just cleaning up my own mess.”

Vanderwood shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

 


	15. Anemone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings for this chapter are forced drug use, psychological abuse, and non-explicit torture.

Ray said nothing as he took the scroll from the silky’s hand, and he was unsurprised when she handed him a vial of faery elixir as well. It was fine. He would deal with it. He would get through somehow. For Charlotte.

But when the messenger pushed a second vial into his hand, his heart all but stopped.

“For the human,” she said. “Her Majesty says she’ll take it if it comes from you.”

_ No.  _

_ No _

_ No no no no nonononononononono _

“You’re sure?” he croaked.

The silky looked at him, clearly unimpressed.

Unable to speak another word, he closed the door.

And sank to the floor.

_ No, no, no. _

Charlotte couldn’t take this elixir. She couldn’t. She was too precious to ever have it touch her lips. He wouldn’t let it happen. Never. 

Never.

It wasn’t his current fate that he wanted to avoid for her. No, it was worse, much worse. Faery elixir worked differently on humans. She wouldn’t feel the pain that he did. Instead, it would take away her mind, her ability to reason, leaving her in a haze of pleasure that overwhelmed everything else.

She would cease to be herself. Under the influence of the elixir, she would be nothing but a toy for the Queen to use as she willed.

No.

_ No,  _ the Voice echoed, taking Ray by surprise.

That was it, then. He’d get rid of that elixir. He would… he would…

There was no way to get rid of it.

Faery elixir couldn’t leave the fae world. The consequences among humans were too dire. If he dumped it down a sewer, it would be in the humans’ water supply. If he spilled it out into the street, it would spread until a human touched it. If he poured it into the dirt, it would seep into the soil, growing plants with elixir properties. Animals would eat those plants. It would be passed on and passed on… eventually, a human would eat something tainted by elixir…

Humans had free will. Faeries were physically unable to go against that. Even if he wanted to take the risk of disposing of elixir outside the shop, his body wouldn’t be able to do it.

There was only one option.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ray wrapped his lips around the first bottle and swallowed the contents. A second later, he poured the second vial down his throat as well.

Agony ripped through him, and he fell, muscles clenching, body seizing and shuddering. He jerked on the floor, unaware of anything but the pain that held him in its clutches. It had to end, surely it would end…

He didn’t know how much time had passed before his body stopped shaking, before he regained some control of his limbs. Still fighting the pain, he pulled himself towards the counter with his arms. He had to work, he had to  _ work _ , he had to— he had to—

Those were the last thoughts that went through his mind before everything went dark.

 

* * *

 

“Ray. Wake up.”

The words penetrated his haze, sounding very far away. Recognizing the voice, he latched onto it, pulling himself through the blackness towards it, reaching—

“Ray.”

His Queen.

He opened his eyes.

She stood above him, towering, blond curls waving around her face, worry in her green eyes. 

“Stand up, Ray.”

He struggled to make his limbs work, but they wouldn’t move. The world was spinning.

“Stand  _ up _ , Ray.”

He tried, he tried.

She sighed. “You hurt me, Ray. Falling asleep on the floor instead of working, and now refusing to obey me. I love you, but why must you pain me like this?”

_ I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. _ His voice wouldn’t come.

“You leave me no choice.” She sounded unbelievably sad. “I’ll have to take you to the Mint Court. You’ll need to be cleansed of the insubordinate thoughts that are plaguing you now.”

_ No, please. I’ll obey you, I’ll be good! _

She looked away from him, nodding to someone he couldn’t see. Then he felt hands gripping him under his shoulders before he lost consciousness once more.

 

* * *

 

Charlotte was frantic. It was nearing sunset on the second day since Ray had stumbled out of the bedroom, and he’d never come back. No one had come to bring him food since that queen had left. Was he eating? Was he sleeping? Was he still alive down there?

She’d tried calling for him through the door, screaming his name until her voice was hoarse, but he’d never answered. Surely, if he could hear her, he would have come back. Surely he wouldn’t leave her all alone, not if he could help it, not when she was terrified for his well-being. Where was he? What had happened to him?

Pacing the small space, she tried to think. She’d promised to stay up here until the danger was past. She’d promised not to lie, and he said it wasn’t safe to leave. She’d feared for his safety if she broke that promise, just as much as she feared for her own. If there were dangerous fae spies looking for her, and if they found out she was here— well, he’d promised to protect her, and she knew he meant it with every fiber of his being. That meant if she was in danger, he was, too. What would these faeries do to him to get to her? 

But now — what was the greater risk, going down into the shop, or staying here? What if Ray needed her? What if he was hurt? What if he’d been attacked, and he was down there alone, bleeding out while she dithered around?

Her hands clenched into fists. She was going down there.  It was worth the risk.

Marching toward the door, she yanked on the handle.

It didn’t budge. 

No. Oh, no.

Desperately, she tugged on the door, using all her strength to get it open. It didn’t so much as rattle. She might as well have been trying to yank open a stone wall.

At that moment, her phone pinged. A chat had opened in the RFA app.

And an idea occurred to her.

It wasn’t safe; could she really do this? Endangering herself was one thing, but a friend…

No. She couldn’t let anyone else get hurt. She couldn’t risk anyone else that she loved.

But could she leave Ray down there in danger?

She fidgeted with the phone in her hand, unable to decide, fear gripping her on both sides. Her friend’s help could be the difference between Ray’s life or death. But if something happened to him, too — how could she ever take that chance? 

It wasn’t her chance to take, she realized. It was his. He deserved to have the choice, deserved to be able to decide if he wanted to intervene or not.

Before she could change her mind, she opened up the RFA chatroom where Luciel waited. The choice would be up to him.

 

* * *

 

Luciel wasn’t sure if anyone would come into the chatroom, but he wanted to check on his friends if he could. That woman, Sarah — if she’d gotten her hands on any more of them, anyone besides Jumin — he wanted to know as soon as possible. So far, none of them seemed to be under her thumb the way Jumin was, but did that mean they were safe?

He couldn’t know, and so he would keep as close an eye on them as possible.

He waited, wondering if anyone would come in. And then—

 

**— Charlotte has entered the chatroom —**

 

**Charlotte:** Luciel? Are you here?

 

There was nothing unusual in her words. So why did they seem desperate to him?

 

**Luciel:** I’m here. What is it?

 

There was a long pause before she replied.

 

**Charlotte:** I need a favor.

**Charlotte:** It’s not safe.

**Charlotte:** No, never mind, I can’t ask this.

 

Another pause. Luciel began to type a question, but another text popped up.

 

**Charlotte:** But

**Charlotte:** but

**Charlotte:** Luciel, I’m so scared

 

He answered immediately.

 

**Luciel:** I’m coming. Where are you?

 

Again, a pause.

 

**Charlotte:** The place that only you and I can see.

 

He frowned in confusion. What…? A memory flitted back to him, Charlotte mentioning the flower shop where that guy worked — what was his name? Ray?

 

**Luciel:** Okay. Did he hurt you?

 

He knew she would know who he meant.

 

**Charlotte:** No. No. It’s not me.

**Charlotte:** It’s him.

**Charlotte:** I think he’s hurt.

**Charlotte:** I’m so scared for him.

**Charlotte:** But it’s dangerous. I don’t know if you should come. Luciel…

**Luciel:** I’m coming. Stay there.

**Charlotte:** Wait!

 

He paused with his finger over the logout button.

 

**Charlotte:** Don’t come in. Just look in the windows. And if you see a blond woman in a silk dress, run. Don’t stay.

**Luciel:** I can’t run away and leave you there.

**Charlotte:** You have to. Promise, Luciel.

 

He hesitated, deliberating, and then— 

 

**— Luciel has left the chatroom —**

 

* * *

 

Pain. Pain was all he knew. He couldn’t remember who he was, didn’t know where he was, didn’t know why he was being hurt. All he was aware of was the torture ripping through his body without reprieve.

Something wet touched his lips, and liquid spilled into his mouth. He tried to spit it out, but more of it flowed in, choking him until he swallowed.

He hadn’t thought he could hurt more, but as a fresh wave of agony pierced through him, he knew he’d been very, very wrong. A shrieking sound filled his ears. 

It was coming from him.

_ Let me be gone. I want to be gone. Please... _

 

* * *

 

As the last rays of sunset slowly faded from the sky, Luciel approached the little stone building with the overflowing flower baskets, struck by its beauty. He’d always admired it, but for some reason, he’d never wanted to get close. Now Charlotte was in there, and she was in danger. 

Slowly, he neared the window. As Charlotte had instructed, he paused outside of it, peering through the glass.

At first he could see nothing. The glass swirled with some sort of purple mist that couldn’t possibly be there. Before he could properly freak out, the mist faded, and he was able to look in.

Flowers filled the room, so thick he could scarcely make out anything else. Very close to the window, a basket of round, white flowers caught his attention. Anemones. He didn’t know how he knew that, but somehow he did.

They meant  _ betrayal. _ He knew that, too.

Beyond the flowers, there was no sign of any living thing. Not Charlotte, not this Ray person, and not any woman with blond hair.

Right. It didn’t matter what Charlotte said. He was going in.

 

* * *

 

The pain was never-ending. It filled his being, every particle of his body.

_ Let me be gone. I want to be gone…  _

A face swam through his mind’s eye. A beautiful woman. Red hair, freckles, a smile that lit up his heart even through the torture. He didn’t know who she was, but he knew he had to protect her.

He needed to be strong.

Something deep inside of him pushed forward, growing larger and larger, demanding and unrelenting.  _ Strong. Strong. I’m strong. _

he wanted to be gone

he needed to be strong.

_ I’m strong.  _ **_I’m strong!_ **

_ … _

_ Yes. _

_ Strong. _

**_Strong._ **

He let go, and the world went black.

 

* * *

 

The door was locked.

It didn’t matter how hard Luciel jerked the handle; it wouldn’t budge. When he tried to break down the door, the heavy wood wouldn’t move. Desperate, he scanned the area around him, finding a large rock on the sidewalk. Perfect.

Hefting the rock, he took aim at the shop window, then threw it with all his might.

It bounced off the glass, hitting him in the shoulder on its way back.

Dammit!

Before he could try again, his phone rang. It was Charlotte.

“Char? Hello?”

“Luciel. Where are you?”

“I’m outside the flower shop. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. That banging sound, it’s you?”

“Yes. Can you come out?”

“I’m stuck up here. What’s going on? Do you see anything?”

“There’s nobody there. No one that I can see. Char, where are you? I’ll get you out of there.”

“I can’t leave. Even if I could, I wouldn’t. I can’t abandon him—”

“Who? This Ray person?”

“Yes.”

Luciel tamped down his frustration. “Char, he’s not even here.”

A long pause. “I’m sorry. I can’t explain. But I have to stay.”

All right. If that was her choice— “Then I’ll find a way in.”

“No!” Her cry was desperate. “You can’t help me from in here, not if Ray’s not in the shop. It’ll only get worse if you come in. Please, I need you to be out there. In case I need you again. I need you to be there if I ever do have to escape. Please.”

His instincts screamed at him not to leave her.

“Don’t come in, Luciel. I need you out there.”

He couldn’t just walk away. Pressing the phone between his ear and his shoulder, he grabbed the rock again, hurling it at the window with every ounce of his strength.

At least this time it didn’t hit him when it recoiled.

“Luciel! What was that?”

He was out of options.

“What do you want me to do?” he said in defeat.

“Wait for me to contact you again. I promise I’ll call if I need you.”

“That’s it?” It wasn’t enough. He was helpless out here, and he hated it.

“And take care of the rest of the RFA. Keep an eye on them.”

The rest of the RFA. That reminded him. He hadn’t brought up his concerns about Sarah for fear of looking foolish, but now… now he knew she’d understand.  “Char. Jumin’s fiancee. I think something’s wrong with her.”

Silence. Then: “Has she hurt anyone?”

He shook his head before remembering she couldn’t see him. “Not yet.”

Another pause. “Okay. I don’t think you should go near her.”

So Charlotte thought so, too. “Why?”

“Because you can see the flower shop,” she answered simply.

The first time she’d said this, back in the food court at the mall, he’d thought it was a joke. Of course he could see the building, how could anyone miss it? But now…

It meant something, seeing this place. He didn’t know what, but it did.

“All right. I’ll keep you posted. And you keep in touch with me.”

“Yes. It’s a deal.”

He hesitated, then said, “You’re dear to me, you know?”

“Yes.” Her voice was full of emotion. “You are to me, too.”

There was nothing more to say. “Goodbye, Char. Take care.”

“You, too, Luciel.”

He waited for the click of the call ending before he put his phone back in his pocket.

“Luciel!”

Startled, he turned. At the familiar face before him, his eyes went wide.

“V?”

 

* * *

 

It was midnight. Charlotte lay on her bed, tears soaking her pillow. Her eyes hurt from crying, but she couldn’t stop. Where was he? What had that monster of a queen done to him?

What was she going to do?

Sobs wracked her body. She tried to tell herself that he was fine. Maybe he’d just had to go somewhere, and that horrible woman hadn’t let him tell her. Or maybe it was a weird faery thing, some kind of magical… time… wrinkle… 

_ Click. _

She bolted upright. The door, that was the door opening!

Scrambling to her feet, she sprinted from the bedroom, nearly falling in her haste.  _ Please let it be him, please, please! _

In the hallway, she came to a halt, squinting in the moonlight to see who had come in. She could see a silhouette in the dim blue light. As her eyes adjusted, she recognized his face.

“Ray!”

A shuddering breath escaped her as she lurched forward, throwing her arms around him. “Ray!” She squeezed him tightly, pressing her face against his chest. “I missed you so much!”

For a moment, he was silent. Then a lilting, mocking voice that was both Ray’s and not Ray’s spoke.

“What a passionate welcome!”


	16. Rhododendrons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few announcements with this update:
> 
> First, I've posted a separate fic to go along with this one -- it's for NSFW scenes with explicit sex. As of now, there's one scene, and it takes place between chapters 13 and 14 (I added a link there, too). If this is not your thing, you can totally ignore it and it doesn't have to exist for you at all. If you're into it, check out [Blossoming at Night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15292206/chapters/35476968).
> 
> Second, art! I did an art/writing trade with the incredibly talented [Rainylune](https://rainylune.tumblr.com/) and got another [glorious piece of art](https://rainylune.tumblr.com/post/175919605083/youre-here-ive-got-you-nothing-else-needed) from her. I went back and added a link in the notes of chapter six, since that's what she illustrated, but I also have to link it here because everyone needs to see it!
> 
> Finally, I'm really excited to announce that I'm going to be contributing to the [2019 MysMe charity calendar](https://2019mysmecalendar.tumblr.com/)! Specifically, I'll be writing and illustrating a Saeran fic for the NSFW book that goes with the "Lust for All Seasons" version of the calendar. I hope you all check it out -- there are so many talented people working on it, and I'm honored to be counted among them.
> 
> Okay, now the fic! 
> 
>    
> [Suggested listening music](https://youtu.be/f-YnHY5BWXc)

Sitting across from him at the little cafe table, Luciel told V everything, talking well into the night. He explained his fears about Jumin’s mysterious new fiancee. He revealed Charlotte’s location and everything he knew about this man called Ray. He talked until he had no more words, finally falling silent.

V steepled his hands, worry written all over his face.

“You must think I’m nuts.” Luciel shook his head. “I’m nuts, right? Please tell me I’m nuts.”

“No. I believe you.”

Whatever last hopes he had that everything was fine went out of him with that statement. “Of course you do.” Luciel let out a huff of mirthless laughter. “Whether I’m crazy or not, I’m not going to meet that Sarah woman.”

“Good.” V’s shoulders slumped in what looked like relief. “Don’t go near her.”

That was unexpected advice. Why…?

“V, do you know something?”

“Um… I know that you have good instincts, and I think you should trust them.”

That couldn’t be all. “Char gave me the same advice. I’m beginning to think everyone knows more than me.”

V’s brow creased. “Please trust me. You don’t want to know more than you already do. What you already know is dangerous enough.”

No. That logic made no sense. “If what I know is dangerous, then doesn’t that mean I need more knowledge to protect myself?”

“That’s— you—”

Frustrated as hell, Luciel glared at his friend. “Charlotte needs my help, and I can’t do a thing. Some woman is after me, and she’s probably dangerous. I’m flying blind, and I’m going to get hurt.”

V wrung his hands.

“You’re my friend, V. Help me.”

“Forgetting this was your choice, Luciel.” His voice trembled. “If you take it back, I can’t help you again.”

Something in his tone made Luciel pause. This was serious. It was more serious than he knew. This wasn’t a decision to be made on a whim.

But Char was his best friend, and— something tickled his brain. This Ray person, was there something important about him?

His instincts told him there was only one option.

“Tell me, V.”

V’s face twisted in sorrow, but he nodded. “I’ll do better than that. I’ll show you.”

Reaching forward, he placed a hand on Luciel’s forehead.

Turquoise light filled his vision. A beautiful tone, like a note of music played on a magnificent instrument, lingered in his ears. He was floating, weightless, shapeless, in some airy and empty place.

Slowly, bit by bit, he returned to himself. The cafe materialized around him once more.

And he remembered.

“Shit,” he said.

V nodded.

 

* * *

 

The kitchen was dark when he stepped in, only a few rays of moonlight trickling in. Still, it was more than enough for his eyes. Shaking his head, he scanned the little room in distaste. Ray, that idiot, had made it all so _pretty_ for the human. Didn’t he know that nothing would come from fawning over her? Didn’t he know that his servility was an invitation to be stepped on?

No, of course he didn’t, the little moron.

The human would be sleeping now. That meant he had time. What happened next would have to wait until the morning. What would her face look like when she realized Ray was gone?

For some reason, the thought made him feel empty.

Before he could contemplate why, a gasp caught his attention, and then the force of a body slamming into him nearly knocked him backwards. Strong arms wrapped around him, and a face pressed against his chest.

His heart lurched. He’d never been held like this before.

“Ray! I missed you so much!”

The name hit him like a bucket of cold water. Of course the embrace was not for him. How stupid to enjoy it, even for a second. He felt his lip curl in disgust at his own foolishness.

But no, it wasn’t his fault. She was the one making him feel that way. And she didn’t even mean the affection for him at all. Curse her for it.

“What a passionate welcome!” he mocked.

He felt her freeze. A moment later, she released him, stepping back to look up at his face, scrutinizing him with worry.

It didn’t bother him that she’d stopped touching him. Not in the slightest.

He took the opportunity to examine her face, now that he was seeing it himself and not from a distance through Ray’s mind. She was as pretty as he remembered, but in a different way. Not as perfect, not as much like a painting or a sculpture. There were little imperfections in her features that he hadn’t been able to see before. He thought they made her even lovelier than he recollected.

No. That was ridiculous. Flaws were weaknesses, not strengths. They couldn’t make someone beautiful.

Her eyes were red and puffy, and his heart lurched in concern. She was crying? Why? Not over that fool Ray. There was no way her feelings were genuine.

So… why?

Mentally, he shook his head. It didn’t matter why she was crying. He wasn’t concerned about her.

“So you’re the human that has Ray wrapped around her finger.” He sneered. “Leave it to him to dote on some _human_ that needs constant protection.”

“Ray?” she whispered.

“Ray’s not here, princess.” He tapped his forehead. “He’s sleeping. You’ll have to deal with me now.”

Her brow creased. Her mouth opened, then closed.

Didn’t she have anything to say? Any reaction to meeting him?

He didn’t know why he was disappointed, but he was. With a huff, he looked over her head at the room at the room around him, the lacy curtains, the pretty new table and chairs. “Ray and his ridiculous decorations.” His eyes landed on a vase, full of the flowers Ray had give her. “He even brought you flowers like a good boy.”

Such weakness. Putting her on a pedestal, placing all the power in her hands like that. Didn’t he know that was the easiest way to get hurt? Ray was putty in her hands, just ready for the inevitable heartbreak that would come when she left.

If _he_ gave her flowers, they would be rhododendrons. _I am dangerous._ That was the message he would send her. He wouldn’t be underestimated. He wouldn’t be hurt. He wouldn’t make Ray’s stupid mistake.

Silence filled the air. She stared at him, and he became more uncomfortable by the second.

“Well?” he demanded finally. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Her brow creased. “Aren’t you Ray?”

He opened his mouth to say no — and found he couldn’t. Neither could he say yes. With a huff, he crossed his arms. “You want to know who I am? Too bad. I’m not here to teach you.”

She lifted her chin. “Then what are you here for?”

He was there to protect her, but he couldn’t say that. Telling her would put too much power into her hands. “Ha. Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes,” she replied simply. “I would.”

Annoyance made him scowl at her. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping? Why did you come out here, anyway? Wanted to waste my time, making me deal with a mortal that can’t even take care of herself?”

“I can take care of myself just fine when there aren’t faeries trying to kill me.”

“Kidnap you, not kill you.” V wouldn’t be after her if he didn’t find her useful. “Torture you, probably.” He wouldn’t let his fear of that idea show, covering it with a sneer. “Don’t tell me you don’t even know why you’re here.”

“I don’t know anything unless you tell me.”

Why did she have to be so calm? Why was she looking at him like that, eyes full of warmth and concern, the way she looked at Ray? She should be frightened that her boyfriend had been replaced; why wasn’t she frightened?

“That’s your problem,” he growled. “I already told you I’m not a teacher. And you never answered my question.”

“I came out here because I was scared for Ray.” Her voice shook. Ah, so _now_ she was afraid of him. Good. Fear was better than the pity filling her eyes. “He’s sleeping in there?”

She reached for his head, and he jerked away. “Don’t touch me! I never said you could touch me!”

Blinking, she pulled her hand back. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

That was right. That was how she should behave. She should listen to him. Obey him.

He didn’t want her to touch him. Not at all. Not even a little.

She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her pretty hand.

“Boring, am I?”

“I’m sleepy,” she countered.

Dammit. “Go back to your room. It’s stupid not to sleep when you’re tired.”

Frowning, she tilted her head. “Aren’t you staying? Where will you sleep?”

Concern for him? What did she mean by that? Oh. She was trying to control him the way she did Ray, manipulative little thing. “Don’t try to take care of me,” he snapped. “It’s my business where I sleep. And who says I’m going to sleep now, anyway?”

She bit her lip, and the forlorn expression on her lovely face was suddenly too much to bear. Turning away to hide his emotion, he gestured vaguely at her. “Go on, get out of here. I don’t want to look at you.”

There was a long pause. Just as he was getting ready to growl at her again, he heard footsteps retreating, and then her door clicked shut.

Good. He wanted her to be gone.

WIth a sigh, he turned back to survey the little kitchen, unclipping the chain at his throat so he could slip out of his black jacket and dump it on the table. Suddenly, the room felt very empty. But no, that was stupid. He wanted to be alone. He didn’t want any weak, pathetic humans playing with his feelings, pretending to care.

Not that it mattered what she did. She couldn’t manipulate him if she tried. Being alone was just better. That was all.

A choked sob jerked him to attention, tearing into his chest. She was crying. Again. Why was she crying? She couldn’t possibly care that much.

Could she? Was she that good at acting?

Oh. No. He knew what it was. Ray, that pathetic flower boy, had promised to protect her. Now that Ray was gone, she thought she was in danger. She was crying because she was scared. Probably because she was scared — of _him._

Good. She should be scared of him. He was strong. No one would mess with him.

He could tell she was trying to muffle her sobs, but they reached his ears through the thin walls anyway, grating at his heart. Dammit. He didn’t care about her. He wouldn’t. He refused to. He wouldn’t be hurt, not again.

Ray stirred inside him. _Charlotte…_

_Dammit. Dammit!_

Throwing open the one small cupboard in the space, he retrieved a cloth napkin from a shelf. Fuming, he stalked to her bedroom door, hesitating only briefly before pounding on it. “Open up. Come on! Open!”

Her sobs quieted. A moment later, the door opened slightly, and her reddened eyes peered out at him.

Now he felt ridiculous. He didn’t know what to say. Awkwardly, he thrust the napkin at her.

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move.

“Take it,” he said gruffly. “I don’t have a handkerchief, so just — take the napkin, okay?”

Slowly, as if afraid he might take it back at any moment, she reached for it, then paused with her fingers only inches away. “If I take it, will you trap me?”

The question hit him like a punch in the gut. “What?!”

“It’s a gift from a faery. Are you going to entrap me with it?”

So that was what she thought of him. That he was some kind of monster who wanted to enslave her.

No, no. It didn’t matter what she thought of him! This was _good_. She was finally using her brains and doing something to protect herself. Yes, that was right. He was glad of it. He wasn’t hurt by it at all.

She waited, gazing at him with soft eyes.

“Ugh, just take it already!” He shook the napkin at her. “I wouldn’t be interested in having some foolish human pet.”

“Then it’s not a trap?”

“It’s not a trap!”

Still examining his face, she gently tugged it from his grasp.

“Thank you,” she whispered, wiping her eyes.

Now he didn’t know what to do. “Yeah, well. Don’t cry anymore. Crying is stupid. You’re still safe here, so don’t worry.”

She shook her head, just the slightest of movements. “It’s not that.”

Not that. What…

Oh. “Ha. Don’t pretend you’re worried for Ray.”

Ray’s voice reached him again. _Charlotte…_

Her eyes blinked in surprise. “Pretend?”

His anger started to rise. “That’s right. You don’t fool me. There’s no way you care about that idiot.”

She frowned, suddenly angry herself, taking him by surprise. “I don’t just care about him. I love him. And don’t call him an idiot.”

Ray was fully awake now, yearning for her, trying to reach for her. No, no.

 _Get back!_ he told Ray. _We need to be strong now. Are you too moronic to remember?_

Ray stilled.

“I’ll call that idiot whatever I want.” He clenched his fists. “And don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not lying. I promised you I wouldn’t lie.”

His lip curled. “You promised Ray.”

“Yeah, well, Ray’s in there, right?” She pointed at his head. “So if I lie to you, I’m lying to him, too.”

Every word she said made him angrier. “What kind of logic is that?”

She set her jaw. “The kind that makes sense.”

So by extension, if Ray wasn’t inside of him, she wouldn’t mind lying to him. He meant nothing to her.

And he never would.

Pain filled his chest, and he let his anger push it aside. “I don’t need your promises! I can’t trust them anyway. Don’t try to manipulate me. I’m not a moron like your precious Ray.”

He turned away, ready to storm back to the kitchen, but her voice stopped him in his tracks. “Wait!”

Her small hand wrapped around his arm.

He wanted to push her hand away, but he might hurt her if he did, and he didn’t have permission to touch her except with love. _If_ the permission she’d given Ray even extended to him. He didn’t know if it would or not.

It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to know. He didn’t want to touch her that way anyway. A puny, lying human—

“Stay,” she pleaded.

The word made his breath catch. “What?”

“I can’t be alone anymore. Please.”

Slowly, heart racing, he turned back to face her. “You don’t even know me.”

She bit her lip again, sadness all over her face. “If you share a body with Ray, then I don’t think you can be a bad person.”

“No?” It didn’t mean anything to hear that from her. He didn’t care what she thought of him at all. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

_Say no. Say no. Say no say no say no say no._

“Fine,” he found himself saying. “Suit yourself if you want to make stupid choices.”

With a grateful sigh, she stepped backwards, opening the door further, and he marched past her, heading straight for the opposite wall. Arms folded, he leaned against the window and stood there, glaring at her.

Her brow creased, and she shifted her weight. Her mouth opened, then closed.

Of course. For all her brave words, now that he was in here, he made her uncomfortable. He hid his disappointment with a sardonic grin. “Changing your mind already, princess?”

“No.” Her reply was immediate.

“Then why aren’t you going to bed?”

She glanced at the bed, then at him, then looked at her hands.

The longer the silence went on, the more he wanted to hide. He hated that feeling. “Say something if you have something to say! Or go to bed, will you?”

She took a deep breath, raising her eyes to his. Her words came out in a rush. “Come to bed with me.”

...what?

He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Bed?”

Her cheeks turned red. “Not like that. Just to sleep. You need to sleep, too.”

Sharing her bed… No way was she offering…

“Ha! You think I want to get into bed with you?”

“Don’t you?”

He couldn’t answer that. Dammit! Damn her and her questions and her pretty hair and her wide eyes.

“Why would you want me in your bed? You don’t know who I am! What are you, insane?”

How was he going to protect her when she took these kinds of risks?

“Are you Ray?”

Again, he couldn’t answer.

“Are you not Ray?”

“Stop asking me questions!”

“I will if you get some sleep.”

He was shouting now. “Who are you to take care of me?! It’s none of your business what I do!”

She exhaled in a huff. “How about this, then? If Ray’s inside of you, that means the only way to be close to him is to be close to you. I’ve been terrified for him for two days now. I don’t think I can sleep without him near.”

Oh.

It was Ray she wanted?

Not him. Of course not him.

But no, no, she didn’t care about Ray, either. Curse her, he kept forgetting. She had some other agenda. There was no other explanation.

He just couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.

“Besides,” she whispered. “You must be at least a little bit him. Because if you weren’t, you’d tell me so.”

She understood too well. Fuck, how did she see all that? Terrified, he clenched his hands into fists. “What do you know, anyway? You think I would do that?”

Her answering nod was solemn. “I’m sure of it.”

No, no, she couldn’t know how right she was. “It’s stupid to make assumptions. And I don’t have to tell you anything.”

As if he hadn’t spoken, she went on. “So you’re a part of Ray. And there’s not any part of Ray I don’t love.”

No, no, _no!_ He knew what she was doing, he knew! She was trying to make him fall into the same trap Ray had. Trying to get him under her thumb, acting like she cared so she could use him however she wanted!

“Don’t pretend to love me!” He didn’t mean to be screaming, but he was. “Don’t try to take care of me! And don’t touch me! Leave me alone!”

Without looking at her, he barrelled past her, slamming the door behind him. The bang reverberated through the building, but he didn’t stop, storming down the short hallway.

Charlotte’s agonized shriek made him stop in his tracks.

No. Oh, no.

Anxiously, he turned. “Why are you screaming?”

She didn’t answer.

Ray scrambled frantically for control in his brain. _Go back! She’s hurt! Go back!_

He felt himself fading, being pushed to the background. It was Ray who carried his feet forward towards her room.

 _No!_ he shouted at Ray. _Stop it._ I’ll _help her. Get back, you moron!_

With all his might, he shoved at the flower boy. _I’m protecting her! I’m the strong one! You’re nothing but a weakling!_

Ray hesitated.

 _It’s_ **_my turn!_ ** _My turn to take care of her! Not yours, you incompetent loser! You’ll only fail her again!_

He could feel Ray’s dismay, and it was enough for him to regain control.

The door was ajar, and he pushed it all the way open. Charlotte was crouching on the floor, clutching one hand to her chest, tears streaming down her face.

The sight made his heart lurch. Dammit, why? Why did he have to care about her?

What was he supposed to do now?

She raised her eyes to his, whimpering.

“Let me see it,” he demanded.

Hesitantly, she held out her hand. At the sight, his heart stopped.

Her hand, her hand, her precious hand. Her fingers were bent at unnatural angles, blood dripping from her knuckles.

_No. Oh, gods, no._


	17. Yarrow

Luciel remembered.

His true name was Saeyoung. He was known as the lucky number 707.

And he wasn’t human.

Horrified, he looked up at his friend. “Why did you give me my memories back? Didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t?”

V closed his eyes. “I promised you I wouldn’t unless things went very wrong. And they have.”

Saeyoung’s blood ran cold. “Where’s Saeran?”

V hesitated.

“Where’s Saeran?” he demanded, getting more frightened by the second. “Where is Saeran, V? You promised to take care of him. Tell me where he is.”

“You know you can’t go to him.”

“Like hell I can’t.”

“Your father is looking for siblings. Two of you. You’re not safe together.”

_ “Where is Saeran, V?!” _

He sighed. “He’s in that flower shop.”

That flower shop. That dangerous, impenetrable flower shop.

“Ray,” he realized. “The man Char’s in love with. He’s Saeran, isn’t he?”

V nodded miserably.

And he was in danger. Danger enough to terrify Charlotte.

Saeyoung stood. “I’m going.”

“Wait. Wait! Let me explain. You don’t know what you’re walking into!”

Furious, he slammed his hands down on the table, making V jump and nearby patrons look at them. He ignored it all, speaking in a low growl. “Why haven’t you gone to him? You were supposed to protect him. Why is he there and not with you?”

V’s face was etched with pain. “It’s my fault.”

“Damn right it is!”

Surreptitiously, his friend glanced around. “Sit down, Luciel. Please.”

Every instinct screamed at him to walk out that door. But he’d asked V for his memories back for a reason. He needed to know everything he could, needed to go in armed with as much knowledge as he could garner. 

Frustrated and furious, he sat. “You have three minutes.”

With a wave of V’s hand, silence fell over them. A spell to keep listening ears out.

“I didn’t go to him because I can’t get into that shop,” V said. “I can’t get in, and neither can you. It’s protected by a spell more powerful than either of us.”

“How is that possible?”

V sighed. “Because it was cast by Saeran.”

 

* * *

 

“How?” he yelled at her. “ _ How?” _

Charlotte fought through her pain and tears to look up at the man with Ray’s face, seeing the anger mixed with desperation there. “I tried to stop the door from closing.”

His nostrils flared. “You put your hand out when I slammed the door?!”

Pain throbbed through her hand, up her arm. She tried not to cry out, not to be weak in front of this unknown man, but she couldn’t hold back the whimpers that escaped her. “I need help. Please.”

Panic shot over his face before anger covered it once again. “Stay,” he commanded, then disappeared into the hallway.

God, god, it hurt, it hurt so much. She couldn’t help sobbing, her body shaking with the pain. He would help her. He had to. She might not know who he was, but in every move he made, in every expression that crossed his face, she saw worry and hurt hidden beneath a facade of anger. She knew she was incredibly stupid for trusting this unknown person, but she did it anyway.

And Ray was inside him. She trusted Ray with everything she had.

She trusted both of them.

 

* * *

 

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not, I swear.”

“Saeran would never cast a spell to keep us out.”

“Saeran doesn’t have his memories anymore. He doesn’t know who he is. He doesn’t know who we are.”

No, that wasn’t part of the plan. “You erased his memories, too?”

“Not me.”

Saeyoung clenched his hands into fists. “V. You had better start giving me answers. Who erased Saeran’s memories?”

“He erased them himself.”

“Why would he do that?”

“It— someone told him—”

“Who?! Who told him to do that to himself?”

V was silent a long time. Just as Saeyoung was ready to scream at him, he spoke.

“...Rika,” he said. “It was Rika.”

 

* * *

 

Dammit, dammit! Where was that first aid kit Ray got for her? Where the hell did those silkies and brownies put it? Shit, even when he found it, what was he going to do with those paltry supplies? Her fingers— her bones—

“Please,” he heard her beg from the bedroom. “I need a hospital.”

Panic shot through his veins. No, no, not the hospital. How would he keep her safe in a fucking hospital? She didn’t need that; he would take care of her here. He would — he would—

“Fuck, fuck!”

He tore the bathroom apart from top to bottom and found nothing. Not so much as a single goddamn bandage.

“You can’t go,” he growled. “It’s not safe.”

A sob reached his ears.

“Stop it!” He couldn’t stand it. He had to do something. “I’m strong, I’ll take care of you, I’m strong, I’m strong!”

_ The flowers.  _

What was that idiot saying?  _ This isn’t the time for your goddamn flowers! _

_ Yarrow. Get it. Please. _

Hope sprang into his chest. Yarrow, healing. Yes, when his Queen came, she could enchant it, she could heal the mortal.

_ But will she do it? _

His head started to hurt. “Stop it, you traitor!”

Ray was unshakeable.  _ Get the yarrow. And try. Try! _

Curse that idiot. “Wait here!” he shouted to the human, then raced down the stairs.

 

* * *

 

Luciel listened in silence as V told his story. How Rika had betrayed him, using her charm to turn the fae against him. How she’d exiled him from the court that was his birthright as the Sidhe King of the Mint Faeries. How Saeran had disappeared, and V had searched for three days with no sign of him, only to have the flower shop appear out of nowhere on the fourth day. How V’s spy had infiltrated the Mint Court and learned of “Ray”, the brownie who tended the flowers.

“A brownie.” Saeyoung didn’t even try to hide his skepticism.

“So they say.”

It was true that his brother had a penchant for flowers, but— “Saeran and I are sidhe. Why do you think this brownie is Saeran?”

“Because of what Rika is doing now. Luciel, nobody else knows what you and I know about her. She’s managed to convince everyone that she has extremely potent magic. Even the most powerful faeries are coming to her for help.”

Rika, magically powerful? “But what’s the connection to Saeran?”

“The flowers coming out of that shop are the source of her power.”

The pieces clicked into place. “Plant magic is Saeran’s gift.” A powerful, uncommon ability, even among the sidhe. “Rika is using his spells to amass power.”  

“Yes. She’s trading Saeran’s enchanted flowers in exchange for support. Maintaining the title of Queen with their magic. And telling the world that she enchanted them herself.”

It was starting to make sense. “But she couldn’t have possibly enchanted those flowers. She doesn’t have that kind of ability.”

“I know.”

“She’s only a silky.”

V nodded. “I know.”

 

* * *

 

Clutching the little white flowers in both hands, trying to calm his panic, he dropped to his knees in front of Charlotte’s shuddering form. “Let me see,” he demanded, trying and failing to keep his terror from his voice. “Let me see your hand.”

Shaking, she held it out to him.

“Can I touch it?”

A small sound escaped her as she nodded.

_ Let this work, please let this work. _

He wasn’t sure whose thought that was. Closing his eyes, he searched his mind for any idea of how to make the spell work. There was nothing. His mind was blank.

And then it hit him.

Instinct took over, and his hands began to move, crushing the petals in his palms. Gently, he pressed the crumbled flowers onto her hand, wincing at her cry of pain.  _ Heal, _ his mind pleaded.  _ Heal. _

In that moment, he and Ray were one, sharing their hope, their fear, their every wish.  _ Heal, heal. _

She gasped, a desperate sound, and his heart sank. His soul was jarred back into two, and he opened his eyes to look at her. “I’m sorry. I tried. I tried.”

“Look.”

Disbelief in her face, she withdrew her hand from his, holding it out for him to see.

It was perfect. Small, delicate fingers were straight and healthy, no sign of blood or bruising. Even her nail polish was untouched.

Perfect. Just as it had been before.

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe — Rika — the Rika I knew—”

“I never thought she would do this, either. But it’s happened.”

Saeyoung met V’s eyes levelly. “This is your fault.”

“Yes.”

“You allowed her lie about what she was. You supported her when she told the court that she was sidhe. You gave her that teleportation ring so she could appear powerful and hide the truth.”

“Yes.”

“You gave her the power to do this.”

“Yes,” he said again. “It’s my fault.”

Saeyoung put both hands on the table. “I have to go to him. You know that, right?”

“He doesn’t remember you.”

“But I remember him. And he needs me. Char does, too.”

“We should talk about this—”

He was trying to be calm, but his anger bled through. “How long have you been talking and not acting, V? How long are you going to leave him there?”

V fell silent.

Saeyoung stood. “Thank you for returning my memories. I have to go.”

 

* * *

 

Charlotte watched in disbelief as the unknown man in front of her collapsed in on himself, putting his head in his hands. “I’m strong,” he murmured. “I did that. I’m strong.”

She wanted to reach for him, but he’d told her not to touch him, so she spoke instead. “You’re strong. And you’re kind. You healed me.”

“I’m not kind.  _ He’s _ kind. I’m — I’m—”

Looking at him now, so lost, so vulnerable, there was no doubt in her mind. “Kind.”

Desperately, he reached for her newly healed hand, raising her fingers to his lips. “I’m cruel,” he said, his breath ghosting over her skin. “He’s kind and weak. I’m strong and hard. That’s how our Queen made us.”

So that woman had done something to him. Them. Her soul ached to think of it. In a whisper, she said, “I guess she couldn’t take the heart out of someone as loving as you no matter what she did.”

 

* * *

 

This was bad. It was so bad. His heart was wide open, bleeding, completely at her mercy. He’d tried so hard to defend himself, and she’d taken the fight out of him in a matter of hours.

In sharp contrast, Ray was vibrating with joy.  _ She loves us. Every part of us. _

“Stop it.” He didn’t know if he was talking to Ray or Charlotte. With a shuddering breath against her knuckles, he focused on her. “You’re going to hurt me.”

Without lifting his head, he raised his eyes to hers, trying to fight his terror. The sorrow in her expression made his heart all but stop. She opened her mouth, closed it, then spoke. “I never want to hurt you. But I can’t promise that I never will. I’m not perfect. I’m just a person. People hurt each other all the time without meaning to.”

Yes, she would hurt him. She would — she would— 

Gently, she slipped her fingers from his grasp to brush them along his cheek. “I promise you this. I will do everything I can to keep you safe. Your body and your heart.”

It was too much. He couldn’t take it.  “Don’t do this,” he pleaded.

Doubt crossed her face, followed by resolve. “It’s already done.”

Something wet rolled down his cheek. “I’ve been watching you,” he admitted. “I was here the whole time. All the time you were with Ray. You — you’re dangerous. I can’t let you—”

Her lips parted. “You were here?”

He nodded, one short, quick movement. Would she hate him for that now? For spying on her?

“Why didn’t Ray tell me?”

“He didn’t know what I was. I — even I don’t know what I am. I was a Voice in his head. I don’t have a name. My Queen never gave me one, and—” He found a laugh bubbling over, all his frustration and misery spilling out in the sound. “I’m an unknown quantity, even to myself.”

The hand on his cheek moved to his hair, brushing it out of his face. “All right. Don’t worry now. We’ll figure it all out.”

He wanted to believe her, to trust her, but — “I remember things Ray doesn’t. I can’t trust you.” His breath came out shaky. “It’s not safe to trust you.”

Her brow creased. “You remember things Ray doesn’t?”

He nodded again, closing his eyes, sharing what no one else knew. “Yes. I took the memories. I took them so he could forget.”


	18. Hibiscus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for having a short chapter this week. I've joined the admin team on the Love for All Seasons mysme calendar project -- a huge honor, and I'm very proud of the work we've done since I joined. The downside is that I had less time to write this week, but I hope you still like the chapter even though it's not as long as the others. Thank you to all my lovely readers, you're really the best and I love you all.

He lay in her arms that night, awake, terrified, overjoyed. She was so tiny and soft, so vulnerable and dangerous. Her chest rose and fell as she slept, the feel of it warm and comforting. She reminded him of a hibiscus flower — delicate beauty, capable of inspiring a consuming love. He’d tried so hard not to love her, but it had always been a lost cause. After watching her through Ray’s eyes, seeing what Ray had seen — he’d never stood a chance against her.

It would hurt so much when she left him. He didn’t know if he could survive.

Ray, the fool, never thought about that. Ray could revel in her presence, enjoy each precious moment with her.  _ He _ was the one who knew what would happen. He was the one who knew what it meant to trust.

He put up a wall in his mind now, keeping Ray from looking into his thoughts. He didn’t remember everything. Some of the memories were far away, inaccessible, even to him. There, but not. He didn’t remember his — their — true name, or the pseudonym they’d used to protect it. He didn’t remember having magic beyond a brownie’s ability to hide well. He didn’t remember his childhood, or how old he was. When he reached for those memories, he could only brush the surface of them before they faded away. For whatever reason, he’d hidden them well.

But he remembered his brother. Saeyoung, 707. He remembered being afraid, remembered Saeyoung’s promise to protect him. And he remembered V and his soft, comforting voice, telling him that he would be safe.

He remembered being abandoned. Remembered being frantic with worry when Saeyoung disappeared, ready to tear apart the whole world to find him. He remembered, later, the tears in his Queen’s eyes when she told him of V’s betrayal.

He remembered his Queen’s soft suggestion that he take the elixir, remembered her assurance that it would make him strong enough to find his brother. And it did. He’d endured the agony and come out strong on the other side. He was strong enough to find Saeyoung now.

But he also remembered his Queen’s words as he writhed in pain under the elixir’s effects. Her revelation that his brother had left him, cruelly. That she’d discovered 707 living happily in another court, carefree and completely unconcerned with Saeran’s life. How Saeyoung and V had run off together, abandoning the both of them.

He didn’t believe it, not at first. But as the agony went on, and her words were repeated, the truth began to sink in. His Queen was trying to save him. She had no reason to lie.

She wanted him to forget, but the memories had to go somewhere. And so he had split in two. But the split wasn’t even. The part of him that blamed himself for not being good enough, not worthy of love, became Ray. The part of him that knew it was  _ their _ fault, that  _ they _ were the ones that were wrong, became… him.

And he took the memories. Obviously, Ray couldn’t have them. That moron didn’t know what to do with them, and he would only mess things up. Ray was suited to obeying his Queen’s whims now.  _ He _ was too angry. He wanted his brother to hurt. He’d be too distracted to do what his Queen wanted.

So he let himself fade into the background, waiting until he was needed.

The memories should have been enough. Should have been a shield against the mortal’s charms. Should have taught him not to love anyone ever again. But he’d let Ray stay in control, had watched everything through Ray’s eyes. And Ray didn’t have a shield.

What’s more, under the human’s caring attention, Ray had become stronger than he’d ever imagined possible.

The human stirred in his arms, distracting him from his thoughts. So vulnerable, so trusting. Didn’t she know she was putting her safety in his hands? When she’d let him touch her hand, she gave him permission to hurt her. She’d allowed him to lay hands on her in a way that would increase her pain — and it  _ had _ increased her pain before she was healed. When she’d once again asked him to join her in bed, he’d tried to explain, to tell her of the permission he had now, all the while doing his best to sneer.

She’d blinked, then said, “I trust you. Come to bed now.”

How could she trust him that much if she didn’t… if she didn’t…

…love…

No. No, no, no, no.

He must have moved, tightened his arms, something, because her eyes fluttered open, a frown creasing her pretty brow. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I can’t sleep.”

“It helps if you close your eyes,” she replied patiently.

His pulse was racing to much to sleep. “You must be crazy. You shouldn’t trust me.”

“Yes, yes, you’re cruel, I don’t know you, you’re able to hurt me. Go to sleep now.”

He should have been angry at her dismissal. Instead it was reassuring. Another sign that she was comfortable with him. Another sign that she might—

“It’s stupid to trust someone like me,” he mumbled halfheartedly.

“You think I’m stupid, then?”

That was an entirely different matter. “Go back to sleep.”

She set her jaw. “I will when you do.”

He gave her the best glare he could muster, which must not have been very impressive, because she only blinked at him. “Stop being so stubborn,” he growled. “Sleep.”

“If you want me to sleep, you know what to do.”

Dammit. She had to be the most frustrating woman in the world.

She watched his face with infuriatingly innocent eyes.

“Fine.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m going to sleep. See? Now you do it, too.”

Her chuckle rang in his ears like bells. To his utter shock, he felt her lips touch his cheek, just the tiniest peck, but it was enough to make his heart lurch and his eyes fly open. He expected her to look smug. He was wrong.

She looked… nervous.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I wanted to. Is it okay?”

No. Yes.

“Why do you want that?”

“You’ve been with me all this time. We’ve shared more than that. Haven’t we?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It is to me.”

She was infuriating. She was impossible. She was…

…irresistible.

“You shared that with Ray.” She hadn’t even known  _ he _ was there. 

Her brow creased thoughtfully. “How does Ray feel about me kissing you?”

Frowning, he let his mental wall drop, reaching for Ray’s thoughts, and found him brimming over with happiness.  _ She loves me, us, all of us. She accepts us as we are. _

“He likes it,” he admitted grudgingly.

“So… if you were there before, and he doesn’t have a problem, and  _ I _ don’t have a problem, then didn’t we all share it?”

“That’s—”

Suddenly she pulled back. Instinctively, his hands tightened around her, afraid she would leave, but she just looked at him with wide eyes. “Unless — unless  _ you _ don’t like it—”

_ I hate it. You’re dangerous. You’re going to hurt me.  _

“I never said I didn’t like it.”

_ Please don’t ever stop. _

“Then… can I do it again?”

He had to do something. He was falling under her control, too much, too much. He had to take control back, had to do something—

Before he knew what he was doing, he lurched forward, pressing his lips hard against hers.

She let out a small, high-pitched sound, spurring him on. Yes, that was right. Let  _ her _ be the one to react to  _ him. _ He was the strong one here. One of his hands moved to the back of her head, holding her in place as he deepened the kiss.

Then he released her, as quickly as he had begun. Her eyes flew open, her lips parted, her breath coming fast.

Good.

“Go to sleep now,” he ordered.

She closed her mouth, apparently speechless. His sense of helplessness faded in the face of her dazed reaction. He was still strong. He didn’t have to let go of his control.

To punctuate his demand, he shut his own eyes. A moment later, he felt her curl closer to him, resting her head against his chest. When he peeked out of one eye, he saw her eyes closed peacefully, a small smile on her lips.

That was exactly what he wanted. Closing his eyes again, he let himself relax, and before he knew it, he’d drifted off to sleep himself.


	19. Lilacs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for missing last week's update. I know I have readers looking forward to them, and I feel really bad that I didn't even have a way to say I was going to be late. I feel like I let you down. And I have to be honest -- I don't expect to have a full chapter ready for next week. But I will try my best to have something, even if it might be short.
> 
> Thank all you lovely people for reading this fic. Every one of you means a lot to me.

_ In the flower shop… _

 

When the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first beams of sunlight, Ray woke up. He had wrapped himself around Charlotte as they slept, his leg tossed over hers, cheek pressed against her hair. She was still asleep, peaceful, a slight smile on her pink lips.

_ My turn,  _ said the Voice, railing against him.  _ It’s my turn. _

_ I just want a few minutes. _

The Voice must have sensed he meant it, that he would give control back, because he settled down angrily, not hiding his displeasure, but not fighting either. Ray put him out of his thoughts now, focusing all his attention on Charlotte. Quietly, careful not to wake her, he pressed a kiss to her hair, savoring the lilac scent of her shampoo. Lilacs represented beauty. It was the perfect scent for her.

Despite his gentleness, her eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head, so close that her lips were almost touching his.

“Charlotte,” he breathed.

Her brows raised. “Ray?”

The name surprised him. “You can tell?”

“The other one doesn’t call me by my name.”

Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte. He closed the small distance between them, claiming her lips softly. With a moan, she lifted one hand to his cheek, returning his kiss with a reverence that made him quiver. When they parted, her thumb stroked along his cheekbone, a contented smile on her face.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you, too. I love you so much.” He didn’t have words to describe it, couldn’t possible tell her the depths of his emotions. She was like the sky, endless and all-encompassing. She was everything.

She touched her forehead to his. “Are you going to stay now?”

The Voice’s anger demanded his attention, and Ray scowled. “Not for long. The Voice is coming back.”

The concern on her face sent a wave of guilt through him. He made her worry. She should never worry. “Is that bad for you?” she asked.

Was that her concern? He paused to consider his answer, trying to be as truthful as possible. He missed her, but at the same time… he wanted, needed her to see all of him. See him, and… love him.

Because he loved her so much. He couldn’t live without her love anymore. He didn’t know how he would go on.

Everything was so hard to sort out. He wished it could be easy. The Voice was him. The Voice was someone else. The Voice was… 

...was something she needed to accept, or he could never be with her.

“No.” He tried to explain. “It’s not bad. I want more time with you, but... he’s barely had any yet. He needs to have his turn.”

She chewed on her lip. “Do you — he and I, is that — what do you—”

How could he possibly tell her all he was feeling? How could he communicate something he barely understood? Maybe if he were smarter, he would have the right words. But he didn’t, so he did the best with the words he had. 

“I used to be afraid,” he whispered. “I couldn’t talk about him. I didn’t understand. If you knew I had this darkness in me — how could you like me then?”

“Ray,” she breathed.

“But you’ve seen it. You’ve seen him, and you love him, too.” Yet another impossible truth. Would she ever stop surprising him? “You love everything about me.” He kissed her again, just a brush of lips, resisting the urge to do more because he knew the Voice was getting impatient. “I’m so happy. I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy.”

The Voice pushed at him now, insistent. With a pang of regret, he knew it was time to step back. Smiling one last time, Ray let himself sink into the background, not leaving, but becoming an observer once again.

 

* * *

 

Charlotte could tell the moment he changed. His smile faded, eyes going momentarily desperate before they hardened. Before she could say a word, he cupped the back of her head, pulling her in hard for a passionate kiss. His lips were demanding, fierce, fervent. She couldn’t help but gasp, and he took that opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth.

She was on fire. The world disappeared, and all she could think of, all she could feel, was the urgency of his lips, his body still wrapped around her...

As quickly as the kiss began, it was over. He broke away, pulling back to observe her face. What he saw there must have satisfied him, because he smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Time to get up,” he said.

With that, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, walking swiftly out the door and leaving her struggling to come back to her senses.

 

* * *

 

The unknown man was confident today in a way Charlotte hadn’t expected. After he made breakfast — refusing to let her help — he invited her down into the shop, raising an eyebrow as if in challenge. What exactly he was challenging her over, she didn’t know, but she followed him down the stairs. Whatever spell had kept her from leaving the apartment was gone, and she was able to walk out freely.

He began to set up shop just as Ray had, readying his supplies for the floral arrangements. Unlike Ray, he refused to let her help. “Don’t you have anything better to do?” he snapped when she asked.

She raised one eyebrow at him. “No, actually, I don’t.”

Frowning, he crossed his arms. “Well, that’s not my problem. Go play on your phone or something. I’m busy.”

Oh, no. He wasn’t going to get rid of her that easily. Charlotte set her elbows on the counter, leaning on them as she stared up at his face. “No.”

His nostrils flared. “No?”

“No. I want to help you.”

The flash of vulnerability in his eyes was so quick that she could almost have imagined it — but she knew she hadn’t. Immediately, those green eyes went from scared to mocking, and one corner of his lips quirked in amusement.

“Oh, princess.” He shook his head in false sadness. “That’s not what I want to hear.”

“But it’s what I’m saying.”

Her words seemed to bounce right off him. Without taking his eyes from hers, he pushed himself up onto the counter, kneeling on it in front of her, forcing her to straighten her body and bend her neck to keep from breaking eye contact.

“You want to argue with me?”

Exasperated, she let out a breath. “I want to  _ help _ you. You have too much work.”

His fingers touched her chin, tilting her head just a bit more, and before she knew what was happening, he had bent down, and his mouth was on hers again. His movements this time were slower, more gentle, yet undeniably firm. As always, his kiss sent waves of pleasure through her body. When the hand on her chin moved to tangle his fingers in her hair, she couldn’t hold back a moan.

Wanting more, she reached to hold his arms, but as soon as her palms touched the fabric of his black jacket, he pulled away, just a few inches, and smiled in satisfaction. “Now that’s my princess.”

Without another word, he hopped down from the counter and strode down an aisle, and she was left to catch her breath alone.

 

* * *

 

And so went the rest of the day. He worked and ignored her. Every time she tried to talk to him, to ask him questions, anything, he’d get that glint in his eye and do something to distract her. Sometimes he kissed her. Sometimes he teased her with the promise of a kiss before pulling away. Sometimes it was a touch as simple as running a finger along her jawline and trailing it down her neck, giving her pleasurable goosebumps all over.

She was frustrated as hell, on more than one level.

Finally, near the end of the day, when they were ready to go upstairs, she exploded. “What are you doing?”

He blinked. “Isn’t it obvious, princess?”

“Let me rephrase.  _ Why _ are you doing it?”

“Don’t you like it?”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’m doing it because I like it.”

Oh, he was infuriating. “Is that all you like, then? Kissing me, touching me? That’s all you want?”

His confident facade was cracking. “What if I said it was?”

“I wouldn’t believe you.”

“You don’t know the first thing ab—” He stopped as if something cut him off. “You— you’re—”

“You were going to say that I don’t know the first thing about you. Am I right?”

He scowled.

“But you couldn’t. So I assume it was a lie.”

His face twisted in what looked like pain. “Stop it!” he cried. “Why are you doing this?”

“Me? Why are  _ you _ doing this? Why are you wasting our time like this?”

He looked like he’d been struck. “Kissing me is a waste of time?”

Argh, it was coming out all wrong. “No, that’s not —” She sighed in frustration. “Kissing is nice. But we could have been  _ talking _ . We could have been sharing with each other. Don’t you want that with me?”

Instantly, she wished she hadn’t asked that. Because suddenly she wasn’t sure that he did. Suddenly she wasn’t sure he wanted her at all.

His eyes darkened, and he stalked towards her, danger emanating from him in every step. No doubt he expected her to back away, but she planted her feet, raising her chin defiantly. She refused to be intimidated, not by him. Not by someone she…

...loved.

He stepped into her space, inches away, and reached up to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair. Not pulling, not hurting, but holding her in place. “I told you to stop. Leave me alone.”

She wanted to be strong in front of him. Wanted to be firm. But the tears formed in her eyes against her will. “I can’t.” Her voice broke. “I can’t because I love you.”

His fingers tightened their grasp, and he snarled at her, his face only inches from hers. “Don’t.”

Her tears fell from her lashes.

“Stop it.” His voice had lost its hard edge. “Don’t lie to me. You— you—”

He released her hair suddenly and stepped back, head falling forward into his hands. “Stop trying to decide things! Stop making me weak!”

...what?

Suddenly she got it. She understood.

He was using physical attention to keep her close... without giving her power over him.

“I’m making you weak?”

He let out a choked cry, shuddering.

Charlotte didn’t know what to do. Any action on her part would only make things worse. Would make him think that she was trying to take charge when he was so desperately afraid of losing control. She wanted to take him in her arms… but would that help him? Or hurt him?

“Okay.” She kept her voice low, calm. “I’ll stop.”

His body went still. Slowly, he raised his head. “What?”

“I’ll stop. We’ll do what you want.”

He stared at her, eyes wide, and she was shocked to see his cheeks wet with tears. “You’ll follow me?”

Her heart ached for him. “Until you learn to trust me, and unless it’s dangerous.”

He sneered, but it wasn’t quite so scary with the signs of his tears on his face. “I wouldn’t put you in danger. I’m  _ protecting _ you.”

She nodded her agreement, hoping to reassure him, and spoke the truth. “I trust you.”

His expression faltered for the briefest of moments, and then his eyes became intense, his smile confident. He reached toward her, one finger lifting her chin so that she was looking directly at him.

“Good girl,” he purred.

In an instant, he had released her, crossing to open the door to the stairs, then gesturing her towards it with a flourish. “It’s time for dinner.”

His confidence was back. Good. She’d have to take things slow with him. It would take a while for him to trust her.

She’d give him all the time he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I haven't forgotten about Saeyoung. ;)


	20. Date-Plum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but I hope you all still like it. I've changed my fic description to say that I'll update every other Friday, which is more reasonable for me at this point in time. If and when I can, I'll get back to the weekly schedule.
> 
> Thank you as always to every one of my amazing readers.

_Earlier that day…_

  

It was seven am when Saeyoung left his human apartment. He’d wanted to run straight to his brother, but as much as he hated to admit it, V was right about one thing. He needed to be prepared.

So he’d gone home and set to work on making the gadgets he might need. That was his main power, after all. Where most fae couldn’t interact with technology, he could make it do almost anything. The ability to appear human to other fae was apparently a side benefit of that. Whatever quality it was that made faery magic tangible, that made the fae near-allergic to tech, simply didn’t exist in him. It had been a blessing when he needed to pass for human and hide from his father, but it wasn’t what he was worried about now. Now he needed to ready himself.

So he worked. He needed to get into that flower shop, and he would need so much. A lockpicking device would channel his magic into a form to get past barriers. A shielding mechanism would keep him from being detected… maybe a device worn on the wrist? A silent alarm gadget would pick up on nearby magic…

It had to be perfect. Saeran’s flower magic was near impossible to break through. A single date-plum blossom would be enough to power a powerful protection spell, and Saeran had a shop full of flowers. If Saeyoung had any chance of reaching his brother, every detail had to be accounted for.

When he’d prepared as much as possible, he donned his equipment and headed out, hurrying down the stairs of the apartment building. Pushing open the door, he stepped out into the morning sun — and stopped cold.

Jumin was standing in front of the building, holding the hand of a woman with startlingly purple hair, and Saeyoung found himself facing down the being he’d been avoiding for days.

Shit.

Looking into her eyes, all his suspicions were confirmed. She was fae beyond a doubt. And from the dazed expression on Jumin’s face, he was completely bespelled by her.

 

* * *

 

Finally. The elusive Luciel was here.

It shouldn’t have been so hard to find one human. But for some odd reason, no one seemed to know where he lived. Jumin’s mind was a complete blank when it came to his friend’s address. It had taken all C&R’s resources to track the man down. Surely someone with such secrets had to be important.

Looking at him now, Sarah couldn’t help but be disappointed. Apart from an unusual fashion sense (good gods, it was horrendous), there was absolutely nothing special about him. Completely human. Completely normal.

Completely boring.

But Luciel had never been her target, so she put the matter out of her mind and smiled sweetly at the man. She needed to find the human woman, and this mortal was her only remaining lead. “At last! I’ve been so excited about meeting you. I’m Sarah. Jumin’s fiancee.”

He only blinked at her. “Ah.”

Was he an idiot as well as boring? “And you are?”

“Since you sought me out, I think you know already.”

How absolutely annoying. “That’s right! What was the name Jumin said? Luke?”

“Sure, why not.” The redhead looked over her shoulder. “Not to call this introduction short, but I have someplace to be.”

Were all humans this rude? “Surely you can take a few moments to get to know me. I’ll be marrying your friend, after all.”

At that, the man hesitated. Good.

Then he shook his head. “No. This is too important.”

And with that, he pushed past her and walked away.

No. Oh no. She couldn’t allow this to happen. He couldn’t leave now. Her sister’s existence depended on him. She had no other options. “Wait!”

He didn’t stop. Dammit, she was going to have to make a scene. She hated revealing her true form, but it seemed there was no choice. Oh, if only she could lie to him! _I’m pregnant with Jumin’s child,_ she would say, or _your friend has an incurable disease!_ Oh, how she wished she could say that!

“Your friend has an incurable disease!” she exclaimed suddenly.

At that, Luciel froze, and Sarah did, too.

How had she done that? How had she been able to shout that out? One moment she was thinking about the lie, and the next minute—

Lying to humans was impossible. Utterly beyond the realm of possibility. And that could only mean one thing.

This man wasn’t human. He was hiding his true nature somehow, burying himself in the human world like a coward trying to avoid repercussions.

And that meant he must be important.

 

* * *

 

With dread in his gut, Saeyoung turned slowly. She’d lied to him. Faeries could only lie to other faeries.

That meant she knew.

Her eyes went from wide to narrow, and he knew he had only a moment to act. Tapping a button on his cloaking bracelet, he lunged aside, just in time to avoid being knocked over by a streak of grey as the faery charged. A gwyllion, he realized. Okay. Now he knew what he was up against.

Concealed by his shield, he darted forward towards his friend, grabbing him by the wrist and tugging hard. “Come on!” he hissed.

With a start, Jumin looked around. Of course. He couldn’t see Saeyoung, but there was no time to waste. Saeyoung jerked hard on his friend’s arm, dragging him stumbling away from the building, spreading his barrier to encompass them both.

When they were blocks away, his power began to run out, and he dropped the shield, turning to Jumin. How was he going to explain all this?

As it turned out, he wouldn’t be explaining anything. In an instant, Jumin had opened his mouth to scream, _“Sarah!”_

No. Oh, no.

With the lightning-fast speed all gwyllions possessed, Sarah was upon him in an instant, knocking him down. Her ghastly true features were the last thing he saw before everything went black.

 

* * *

 

“Did you find the human?”

The sidhe in the brown suit, the King of No Court, sat behind his desk, hands folded in front of him, smiling at the wretched gwyllion. She was wringing her hands, avoiding his eyes. Not a good sign.

“No,” she stammered. “I found something else.”

He frowned, feigning concerned confusion. “I don’t understand. I didn’t ask you for anything else. Surely you don’t mean you failed?”

“Please.” The woman’s voice broke on the word. “Just let me show you.”

Before he could reply, the door to his office opened, and two of his underlings entered, dragging a body. They dropped it in the center of the room and quickly disappeared.

The sidhe couldn’t hide his exasperation. “This is the wrong human.”

“That’s the thing,” she stammered. “He’s not a human. He’s fae, and he’s in hiding.”

He was ready to dismiss her — and then it hit him.

 

_Two children, spawn of the Courtless King_

_Grown children, hidden away_

_One languishing among the mundane_

_One chained amidst magic and dreams_

_But on the day the Great Comet burns the sky_

_Both will be the downfall of the Father_

 

A faery. Hidden amidst mortals. _Languishing among the mundane._

He bolted up from his seat, rushing around the desk to kneel at the being’s side. Deftly, he tilted the faery’s head, examining his features. They were difficult to make out, but subtly so, in a way that most would probably not notice. Some kind of unconscious glamour? The King of No Court pushed at the disguise with the tendrils of his own magic, and it slowly dissipated, the faery’s features becoming clear.

There was no doubt. This being looked like him. He was his offspring.

He was one of the Two.

Without taking his eyes off the boy’s face, he spoke to the pathetic gwyllion. “You’ve done well,” he told her. “You’ve done very, very well.”


	21. Iris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been way too long since I updated. Thank you for being patient and staying with me. I'm hoping things will calm down soon and I'll have more time to work on this. You guys are the best, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

“Please, Sarah. Don’t leave me.”

The woman Jumin loved stood before him, arms crossed. “I have no more use for you. Go back to your pathetic mortal life. I’m doing you a favor.”

Next to her, the brunette woman he didn’t know let out an exasperated sigh. “Release him already and let’s go. The sooner we get back to our mountain, the better.”

With a nod, Sarah gestured vaguely in Jumin’s direction. Instantly, a wave of dizziness washed over him. He fell to his knees, trying desperately not to pass out. What had she done to him?

When he looked up, both women had disappeared. And the reality of what had happened hit him.

“Luciel,” he croaked. “No.”

 

* * *

 

The mortal was as good as her word. She was quiet as a mouse as he made dinner — no annoying insistences about helping him — and she ate it dutifully. Everything he asked, she did without question. When he told her to amuse herself on her phone so she wouldn’t distract him, she obeyed.

He loved it. He hated it.

He loved it because he was safe. He didn’t have to reveal a thing. He didn’t have to cross any lines. The control was his, and he gave up none of his strength.

But he hated it, too. To his great annoyance, he missed the sound of her voice, peppering him with questions. He missed the look in her eyes as she gazed at him, somehow peaceful and happy even when she wasn’t smiling. When she was bothering him, at least he knew she was thinking about him.

And she  _ should _ be thinking about him. He was the one in charge. She should be worrying about how to please him.

When they finished eating, he crossed his arms, scowling at her. “What are you doing?”

She blinked. “What?”

“You’re ignoring me.”

Her brow creased in confusion. “You told me to.”

The logic of her statement made him bristle. “Well, stop it. Talk to me.”

Her eyes searched his face before she gave a small nod. “Okay. What should I talk about?”

That… was a good question. What  _ should _ she talk about? 

Her slight frown bothered him. “Yourself,” he ordered. “Talk about yourself.”

Tilting her head, she said, “If you know everything I said to Ray, don’t you already know all about me?”

He felt as if he’d been slapped. “So you’re not going to tell me? You’ll only talk to Ray?”

That shouldn’t hurt. No, it  _ didn’t _ hurt. It was nothing to him what she said or didn’t say.

“That’s not it.” Her brow creased. “I’m trying to figure out what to tell you that you won’t already know.”

This was quickly becoming more upsetting than it was worth. “Forget it,” he snapped. “It was a bad idea.”

He started to push away from the table when her voice stopped him. “I love the rain.”

He paused. She’d never said that to Ray. But...

“I already know that.”

She blinked in confusion. “You do?”

He attempted a sneer. “It’s Ray’s first memory of you. Standing in the rain out on the street.” He huffed, putting as much disdain into the sound as he could. “You probably caught cold.”

Her pretty lips parted. “I think I remember that. He was watching?”

“He watched you a lot. All the humans that walked past, but especially you. That idiot likes to watch people.” He scoffed. “What’s so fascinating about mortals, anyway?”

She ducked her head, smiling.

“What?”

“That was one of the nicest moments I can remember. I was thinking about what a good life I have. Friends and family that love me. The chance to make the world a better place through the RFA. The world is so beautiful. The feel of the rain on my face…”

She chuckled. “And I was wishing I had someone to share it with me. Little did I know the love of my life was watching me at that very moment.”

Ha. Yes. Ray. The love of her life.

She looked at him, mouth open to speak, then closed it, biting her lip.

“What?” he demanded.

“It’s nothing.”

He scowled. “You said you’d do what I told you. I want you to answer me.”

Her brow creased. “I wanted to ask you something, but I didn’t know if I should. You were there, too?”

“What if I was?”

“I want to know what you thought.”

What he thought?

He hadn’t thought much at the time. Just another mortal, not worth his time, not worth the fascination Ray fixed on her. Now, though… now, he thought she was like an iris flower, soaking up the rain, full of hope and the promise of love.

Of course that was nothing he could say, so he scoffed instead. “I thought it was weird.” Not in a bad way, but she didn’t need to know that. 

Her face fell. “Oh.”

Dammit. He didn’t like the look on her face now. She wasn’t supposed to be sad. To get rid of that expression, he changed the subject. “Tell me something else.”

It worked. The frown left her face as she gazed up at him thoughtfully. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

So many things. Ray was the love of her life; she’d just said as much, hadn’t she? Before he could think better of it, he blurted out the question at the forefront of his brain. 

“Why do you love Ray?”

Her mouth opened, then closed again. “That’s… a big question.”

Already he was regretting asking it. “Yeah? So what?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip and said nothing.

This was taking too long. His nerves were starting to get the better of him. “Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Yes.”

She was infuriating. “Well?”

“It’s a big question, but the most honest answer I can give you is pretty simple.” She smiled fondly, a smile that made him clench his hands into fists for no reason he could understand. “I love him because he’s a good person.”

Oh. A good person. Yes, Ray was a good person. But  _ he _ , he was something else. He was… he was… 

...not someone she could love, not if that was her criteria.

Something inside him deflated, some hope he hadn’t even known was building. “I knew it.” He was unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “I knew you couldn’t love me, too.”

She blinked. “Wait, what?”

To avoid her eyes, he looked up at the ceiling, trying to appear disgusted. “You pretended to love me, but it’s not possible, is it?”

In confusion, she tilted her head, drawing his gaze again. A moment later, understanding dawned in her face. “Of course it’s possible.  _ You’re _ a good person.”

She’d said that before, but it made no sense. Suddenly this whole conversation was too hard. “Go back to your phone or something,” he barked, jumping to his feet. “I’m going to clean this up. And don’t help me, either! Just stay there and leave me alone.”

Frowning, she nodded and retrieved her phone from her pocket.

 

* * *

 

After sending a series of frantic texts to Charlotte, Jumin logged into the messenger and waited. Sarah had pretended to know her. She’d been searching for her. That meant Charlotte was in danger, too.

And for some strange reason, he had the feeling she would have answers.

He’d only been waiting a few minutes when she logged in.

 

**Charlotte:** Jumin! I just read your messages. What happened to Luciel?

 

Jumin took a deep breath and started typing.

 

* * *

 

Just as before, the human was silent, playing on her phone as he cleaned up the kitchen, and he pretended to ignore her. When everything was tidy, he looked back — and the horror on her face stopped him in his tracks.

“What?” he demanded. “Why do you look like that?”

With dazed eyes, she blinked up at him. “I need your help.”

His heart lurched in fear. There was danger, and he hadn’t seen it coming. “What happened to you?”

“It’s not me,” she said quickly, and he could breathe again. “My friend. My best friend. He’s been kidnapped.”

As long she wasn’t in danger, he didn’t much care. “There’s nothing we can do. You can’t leave here.”

At that, her eyes widened in fear. “I have to!  _ We _ have to!”

No, no, no. She couldn’t ask this. “We’re not going. It’s not safe out there.” Dammit, he was losing control again. “You said you wouldn’t try to decide.”

The despair on her face cut into his heart. “But I need you now. Please, help me.”

Fuck. He couldn’t stand the way she was looking at him, so full of despair and betrayal. But if they left this shop, if she was out there, exposed — however much he hated this feeling, it was nothing compared to how he would feel if she were hurt.

“We need to stay here.” He wouldn’t let her hear how scared he was, so he focused on his anger, making his voice hard. “Stop asking me.”

Tears spilled from her eyes. “I can’t. You don’t understand.”

“No,  _ you _ don’t understand. I don’t care what happens to him.  _ You _ are the only one I care about.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized they were true. He cared about her — and only her. He wanted to obey and please his Queen, but caring...

Her lips parted, and she lifted a hand to her heart. Dammit. No. More and more, he felt his control slipping away. Not again, not again.

“I…” she lowered her head, looking up at him from under her wet lashes. “I care about you, too. I care about you so much.”

This was… bad. No, no, this was good. He was in charge. She should care.

Right?

“But please. Please. This friend is important, too. If anything happened to him — I couldn’t live with myself.”

No, no, no, it was all wrong. His stability was spinning away, and he grasped at it desperately. “You care more about your friend than about what I have to say?”

“His life is in danger!”

“And yours will be, too, if you step outside!”

Her tears were flowing quickly now. Fuck. No.

“If I can’t go,” she said, “then maybe someone else can. I promised I would stay with you until the danger was gone. That means I need you now. Please.  _ Please. _ Help me find someone who can save my friend.”

She needed him. Those words sent him spinning in an entirely different direction. But even if he wanted to help, there was no one he could send. He couldn’t go himself; it was his job to protect her. Maybe his Queen… if he asked her… maybe she could send another brownie… 

“Who is this friend of yours?”

“His name is Luciel. Luciel Choi.”

His heart stopped.

No.

It couldn’t be. The world tilted on its axis, and he raised his hands to his temples, fighting the pain that was starting to seep into his brain.

“What did you say?” he croaked.

“My friend’s name is Luciel.” Her brow creased with concern. “What’s wrong? Your face — you’ve gone all white.”

He knew that name. His Queen had told him that name.

It was the name Saeyoung adopted after abandoning him.

“We are  _ not _ helping that man.” His voice came out loud and harsh, despite the fact that his throat was dry. “I don’t care what happened to him. I don’t care why he’s in trouble. Wherever he is—” He clenched his hands into fists and took a deep breath. 

“Wherever he is, he can rot.”


	22. Apple Blossoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience, lovely readers! I'm hoping to get back to posting more regularly very soon! The Mystic Messenger calendar project I'm modding on is nearing the final stages of preparation. It's for charity, so I'm just going to put this out there -- preorders are open at loveforallseasons.bigcartel.com. My writing and art is in the NSFW booklet, in case any of you are interested :D
> 
> You guys are really the best. Thank you for sticking with me and this fic, and for all your kudos and comments. It means the world to me.

His head hurt, waves of pain that swept over him uncontrollably, making it impossible to think. From within his mind, Ray’s confused voice battered at him.  _ Luciel? Who is Luciel? _

He tried to shut the idiot out, tried to slam a door in his mind, but Ray pushed against it harder than he would have thought possible.  _ Who is Luciel?! _

Dammit. The name was like a knife in the gut every time he heard it. Luciel, the traitor, the betrayer, the abandoner. The selfish liar who—

_ What did he do? How did he betray us? _

But Luciel, Luciel wasn’t the reason his head was spinning out of control. It was her. She— she—

He’d known she had to be lying, that she couldn’t possibly have meant the things she’d said. The bitch had manipulated him from the beginning, and like a moron, he’d fallen for it, let his hopes take over his reason. Fuck, he knew better, he  _ knew _ better—!

_ She’s not a bitch! Don’t call her that! She’d never hurt us! _

She knew Luciel. Called him a friend. She was using them, both of them, trying to manipulate them into helping the one person who had destroyed them. Lies, she was a liar, she’d deceived them from the start—

_ Don’t you dare call her those things. Don’t you dare. _

The worst thing was, he still wanted to help her. He couldn’t look into her tearful eyes without yearning to make her pain go away. He wanted to fall to his knees and do whatever she said…

_ No, no, no. _ Whose thought was that? His temples pounded, the pain overwhelming.

She still sat at the table, watching as he paced the tiny kitchen, clutching his hair in his fists, fighting for control of his mind, his heart. Her wide eyes burned holes into him, and she wouldn’t look away. Why wouldn’t she look away? She shouldn’t stare at him like that! He was in charge; she should do what he wanted!

“Stop it!” he cried. “Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me!”

Another tear spilled from her lashes as she turned her gaze away.

_ You can’t talk to her like that! _ Ray’s voice became desperate, and he could feel the fool pushing his way forward. Agony ripped through his head.

“Please,” the human begged, eyes fixed on the wall. “Please.”

He couldn’t listen anymore. He had to be gone from here. The will to fight Ray faded away, and his consciousness went with it.

 

* * *

 

“Charlotte.” The word fell from Ray’s lips almost before he had control. The streaks of tears on her cheeks were intolerable; his heart wrenched to see them. “Don’t cry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Her eyes snapped back to his.

He fell to his knees, eyes on the floor. He’d made her cry; he didn’t deserve to look at her. “Please don’t hate me.”

“Ray,” she whispered.

The sound of his name sent a shudder through him. So good to hear that single syllable in her soft, sweet voice. He only hoped she meant it kindly, that she wasn’t disgusted with him… 

Suddenly she was kneeling before him, cupping his face in her hands. “I’ll never hate you. I love you so much.” She chuckled, the sound somehow despairing. “You could break me in an instant with just a few words, and I’d never stop loving you.”

Of their own volition, his arms reached for her, and she wrapped her own around his neck, drawing him close. He pressed his cheek to her chest, and she stroked his hair, dropping light kisses on the top of his head.

Paradise. True paradise.

“I’ll help you.” His voice shook. “As long as you stay safe. I’ll help you if you can stay safe.”

Her breath came out in a sob, and she pulled him even tighter against him. “We’ll figure it out. There has to be a way.”

Ray waited for the Voice to fight him, but there was only silence. Hiding. The Voice was hiding. Good. Ray wouldn’t let him hurt Charlotte any more. No one could ever hurt Charlotte, and especially not a part of him.

“I love you,” he murmured.

She kissed his hair again. “I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

Sitting on the floor next to him, she spoke quickly, all her words coming out in a rush. A mortal named Jumin had been bespelled by one of the fae, a woman who asked him all kinds of questions about Charlotte and demanded to meet every one of their friends. Upon meeting this Luciel, she’d kidnapped him, taking him to see… Jumin never saw who it was. Before leaving, the fae woman had released him, but Luciel was still gone, left in the hands of this mysterious faery.

“V.” Ray closed his eyes, fighting his rising anger. “It has to be him.”

She tilted her head. “That doesn’t seem right. When I first met V — when he came to my office to donate his photographs — he said that he knew Luciel. And when I told the rest of the RFA about him, Luciel acknowledged him as a friend. If they already knew each other, why go through all that trouble?”

His eyes snapped open. “Luciel knows V?” Suddenly the Voice’s anger was starting to make sense.

“Yes, that’s what he said.’

Clenching his hands into fists, he spat out his words. “V is a traitor. He hurt my Queen.”

Brows creased with worry, she opened her mouth, then closed it without speaking.

His head was beginning to ache again. “V must have turned on your friend.” It was the only explanation that made sense. “He’s a liar. He can’t be trusted. Don’t trust him, Charlotte.” Fear of what might happen to her at V’s hands filled his chest. “It has to be him.”

Frowning, she tilted her head, then shook it dismissively. “Maybe. Jumin said something else. He heard whispers of the title ‘King of No Court’.”

He’d never heard that phrase before, but—  “That must be V! He lost his Court when my Queen banished him.”

Wordlessly, she rested her head on his shoulder and reached for his hand, threading her fingers between his. As always, her touch sent a shock of pleasure through him, and he leaned into her, letting his cheek rest on the top of her head. “Charlotte.” Somehow saying her name was comforting, a reminder of the reality of her.

“What do we do, Ray?”

His first thought was his Queen. She could help. With all the power in her hands — if anyone could find Charlotte’s friend —

But—

His Queen had given him two elixirs. For Ray to take it was nothing — but she’d sent one for Charlotte, too. And that was— that was—

He couldn’t trust her. He realized it fully for the first time. His Queen didn’t care about Charlotte. She only cared about what Charlotte could do for her. And if she didn’t care about Charlotte, she would care nothing for her mortal friend. Humans were collateral damage to her.

No. His Queen was not an option. He couldn’t trust her.

So what did he do? He couldn’t allow Charlotte anywhere near danger. But he’d promised to help. There was no way to help without leaving the flower shop.

“Impossible.”

“What?”

Oh. He’d spoken out loud. “It’s not safe out there,” he explained, his cheeks growing warm. “It’s impossible to leave this place.”

As soon as he said it, the unavoidable truth hit him. If his Queen wasn’t trustworthy — then neither was the shop.

“It’s impossible to leave this place…” he began, then spoke the inevitable conclusion. “And impossible to stay.”

She furrowed her brow. “Ray?”

HIs heart was pounding. All right. They couldn’t stay here. They had to go— they could go to—

He didn’t know. He’d never been out in the city before.

Weakly, he looked at her. “Where do we go, Charlotte?”

Her confusion was impossible to miss. “Are we leaving?”

“We need someplace safe. I don’t know…” Helplessness clawed its way through his gut. “Charlotte, can you…”

Her grip on his hand tightened. “We’ll find someplace.” The promise washed over him, warm and reassuring. “You take care of me. I’ll keep you safe, too. I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”

That was wrong. It was  _ his _ job to protect  _ her _ . He didn’t deserve protecting…

… did he?

Pulling back, he turned to look at her, and she raised her eyes to his, innocent and sweet and brimming with love. Loyalty and devotion shone on him through her gaze.

She loved him. And she wasn’t stupid. If she could love him, could it be that he really…

…deserved… 

…her?

“I love you.” He could never say the words enough.

“I love you, too. We’re in this together. No matter what happens.”

Reveling in the moment, he let his eyes fall shut. “Yes.”

 

* * *

 

Jumin was not one to panic. There was always a solution. Always a course of action. So with his friend missing, he used the resources at his fingertips. Which was why he was now in Luciel’s apartment with a team of forensics experts scouring every last inch of it.

Strange, though. He was taking action — and yet, he was still unable to stop panicking.

As the lead investigator approached, Jumin fiddled with the cuff of his shirt. “Well?”

“Are you sure your friend lives here?” the woman asked.

“Of course I am.” Jumin didn’t bother to bite back his annoyance.

The investigator shifted her weight. “Then I would guess if someone was here, they are very good at what they do. There’s not a single fingerprint anywhere in the apartment.”

“Then keep looking.”

“No, you don’t understand. There’s not a  _ single _ fingerprint  _ anywhere _ . Not just from our perpetrator. There’s no sign of your friend or anyone else having ever been here.” She paused. “Well, except for…” She gestured expansively at the room.

He looked around, his eyes taking in the mess. Potato chip crumbs littering the floor, empty bags abandoned on every surface. “There must be fingerprints on those.” He nodded at the crinkled bags.

“Nothing. We haven’t searched everything yet, but you should know—”

“Search  _ everything _ .”

She nodded, taking his sharp tone in stride. “We’ll keep looking.”

As she walked away, a voice at his ear made him jump. “I can help you.”

He turned to see a man with aqua blue hair standing beside him. “Who are you? This is a private residence. You have no right to be here.”

“My name is V. I’m a friend of Luciel’s. And I can help.”

 

* * *

 

It was nearing dawn. Ray all but tore apart the shop, filling baskets with flowers, plants, everything useful he could find. Upstairs, Charlotte was packing clothes and supplies.

At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up from the apple blossoms in his hand, dropping them into the basket he held.  _ Good fortune, harbinger of better things _ . They would need that. Assuming he could still enchant flowers. Assuming that healing Charlotte’s hand hadn’t been a fluke.

With a deep breath, he turned to face her. “Are you ready?”

She nodded, hefting a bag over her shoulder.

“You carry these.” He handed her two baskets, taking the heavy bag for himself. “We should go.”

Go. They were leaving. Faced with the reality of it, his confidence left him, but she gave him a reassuring smile, leading the way to the door, and he followed her, taking courage in her strength. As she pushed the door open, the rays of the rising sun streamed into the shop.

“Are you ready?” It was her turn to ask.

_ Yes. No. _ Neither answer was the truth. “I don’t know.”

The smile she gave him was solemn. “I’ll be with you.”

“Yes.” He drank in the sight of her, the golden light shimmering on her hair. “I can go anywhere if you’re with me.”

With a radiant smile, she held open the door… and for the first time ever, he stepped out into the human world.

 


	23. Eucalyptus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my lovely readers for being patient with my terribly slow updates. This chapter is short, but I'm getting back into the swing of things, and I'll have the next one as soon as I can. I love you all.

With Ray at her side, Charlotte inserted the hotel key into the door, and when the green light flashed, she pushed it open, holding it for him to step through. He did so slowly, clutching the straps of his bags so tightly his knuckles were white. As she closed the door, he set the bags down, his eyes darting around the room.

She paused. “You’re sure they can’t track my credit card?”

He cleared his throat. “I’m sure. Faeries — we’re not good with technology.”

“Okay.” She took a few steps into the room to drop her baskets, then turned back to him. His closed hand was over his heart, teeth nibbling on his bottom lip.

Instinctively, she approached him again, taking his other hand in both of hers. “I wouldn’t take you anyplace I didn’t believe was safe. You trust that, right?”

He let out a sigh, and some of the tension went out of his frame. “Yes. I trust you.”

With a tug on his hand, she led him to the bed, guiding him to sit beside her. “Are you okay?”

“I — I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like this.” 

No, he wouldn’t have, would he? Her mind flashed to his cottage-like home, contrasting it with the modern hotel room. This must feel like another world to him. 

Well — it  _ was _ another world.

He looked around again, eyes landing on the little microwave and mini-fridge before falling to the floor.

It must all be so strange. Hoping some understanding would ease his worry, she tried to explain. “That’s a microwave. It heats up food. And that’s a fridge to keep it cold.”

“It’s not magic?”

“No.”

He bit his lip again. “It probably won’t work with me here.”

Maybe he was right. But then… “My phone worked okay in the flower shop.”

He furrowed his brow. “That’s… true.”

She squeezed his hand. “Tell me how I can help you feel better.”

He raised his face to hers, then hesitated. “Kiss me?”

His nervousness, even after all they’d been through, made her heart sigh. “You don’t even have to ask,” she said, then leaned forward to touch her lips to his, putting all the comfort she could into the kiss.

He let out a small moan, moving his hands up her arms, over her shoulders, until he was cupping her face. He pressed a series of short kisses to her lips, returning again after each one, his need for her obvious in every movement. And god, she felt it, too. Every touch of his soft lips against hers kindled a fire in her that built with every passing moment. He was amazing, he was wonderful, he was — he was—

When he finally pulled away, she opened her eyes to see him gazing at her, and her heart skipped a beat. She’d never get used to him, how breathtaking he was like this, cheeks pink, lips parted, eyes full of awe. What would she do if he ever stopped looking at her this way? She was just a human, and he was… so much more.

His brow creased, and he withdrew his hands. “You’re sad. What is it? Did I do something wrong?”

Her thoughts must have shown on her face. Shaking her head, she summoned a smile. “No. I’m happy.”

He blinked. “I know you wouldn’t lie to me. If you’re happy, why did you look upset?”

There was no avoiding this, was there? “You make me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Sometimes… sometimes it scares me to be this happy. I wonder how long it will be before you lose interest in me.”

His expression was instantly horrified. “I love you. I’ll love you forever. You have to believe me — you believe me, right?”

His words made her heart feel light. “Yes. I believe you.”

He leaned forward to press a hard, urgent kiss to her lips. “Even if I could lie to you, I never would. You’re my world. I’ll never stop loving you, not ever.”

The light feeling spread through her entire body, making her a little dizzy. “I don’t think I deserve that, but I need it. I love you, too. I love you so much.”

He closed his eyes. “You’ll be the one to stop loving me. But it doesn’t matter. I’ll take every moment I can get.”

_ What? _

“Impossible!” Her voice came out louder than she meant it, and she made an effort to lower it. “You’re my world, too. I’ll always need you. I’ll always love you.”

With a choked sound, he pulled her close, enveloping her in his arms. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

“Where is the other?”

Waves of pain washed over him, but Saeyoung said nothing. There was no way he’d ever give up his brother. Whatever torture he had to endure, he would take it. Nothing could ever happen to Saeran, not while Saeyoung lived.

Through the haze of pain, he was aware of someone grabbing his chin and pouring liquid into his mouth. He tried not to swallow, but he couldn’t help it. The agony ripping through his head multiplied. He could feel his body convulsing, but he held onto his mind. They’d never get anything out of him. 

They would never find Saeran.

 

* * *

 

The room needed to be protected. Ray sprinkled the room with flowers, focusing his will into each one. Safe. They needed to be safe.

_ Charlotte _ needed to be safe.

As he scattered protective eucalyptus near the window, he glanced out through the glass. From up on the fifteenth floor, the sight of the city hit him like a punch in the gut, robbing him of air. All that metal and concrete spread out before him—

Suddenly dizzy, he put his head in his hands, rubbing his temples with his thumbs… before it all went black.

 

* * *

 

That view was the first thing  _ he _ saw when he opened his eyes. The height, the strange shapes, the  _ wrongness _ of it had him stumbling backward. He threw up one arm to cover his eyes, and his feet hit something hard and sturdy. Losing his balance, he fell back—

— and two hands caught him from behind, grabbing him under his arms and helping him back to his feet.

He turned to see her standing behind him, watching him with wide eyes. For no reason that made sense, the sight of her took the edge off his panic. She was safe. Everything was wrong, but at least she was here. 

“You left the basket on the floor there, did you forget?” An instant later, realization dawned on her face. “ _ Ray _ left the basket there. I’ll move it.”

Picking up the large basket, she turned away. As if the damn thing mattered. As if anything mattered but getting her to safety. Before he could think, his hand shot out to grab her arm. Startled, she turned to him, dropping the basket as she did so.

“We have to go back.” The words came out as a growl.

Worry spread across her features. He didn’t like it. She was supposed to be protected. She wasn’t supposed to have anything to be afraid of. 

“We can’t go back.” She spoke quietly. “That queen will have realized by now that we’re gone. If she finds us again… she’ll do more than torture us. You know that I’m right.”

No, he couldn’t listen to this. Couldn’t let her turn his world upside down any more. Shaking his head frantically, he said, “She’s the only one who can keep you safe.”

The mortal’s hand came up to rest on the one still gripping her arm. “Sit down,” she said. “We’ll talk.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” The words didn’t have the power behind them that he wanted them to.

“It’s not an order.” Her voice was soothing, and even though he knew she was placating him, he found himself becoming calmer. “I’m asking you. Please.”

She took a step, and he let her, loosening his grip on her arm so she could sit on the bed. Her eyes gazed up at him, waiting, gauging his reaction.

A moment later, he sat beside her. This was wrong, it was wrong, he knew it was wrong— 

Her fingers slipped between his, and he shivered. Her touch shouldn’t be so comforting, and yet…

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.” Her thumb stroked the back of his hand. “Anything in my power.”

“You?” He wanted to sound condescending, but his voice shook. “You’re just a human.”

“And this is my world. This is what I understand.” Her smile was soft. “Trust me.”

He couldn’t muster much volume. “I’m supposed to protect you.”

“We’ll protect each other.”

His eyes fell closed. “You’re on Saeyoung’s side.”

A pause. “Who is Saeyoung?”

“Luciel.” He all but spat the name. “You’ll betray me for him.”

“Never. I told you I’d protect you. And it won’t come to that. He’s a good man.”

She didn’t understand. “That’s what I thought, but I was wrong. He tricked me. He’s tricked you, too.”

“If that’s true, we’ll find out.”

Before he knew what he was doing, he reached for her, wrapping both arms around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest. Words he never meant to say spilled from his lips.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

She nuzzled his shoulder, sending a thrill through him. “I never want to hurt you.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Please don’t get hurt.”

There was a moment of silence before she replied, “I’ll try really hard.”

He was losing control. That should be more frightening than it was. He needed to be the one leading things. When she lifted her head, he captured her lips in a demanding kiss. She melted into him, and he felt some of his strength returning. Her reaction to his touch, so warm and pliant, reassured him that he had some power over her. 

And maybe — maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to give her some power, too.

  
  



	24. Goldenrod

As they approached the elevator to the penthouse, two security guards watched them carefully. He didn’t like that. He didn’t want them anywhere near Cha—the mortal. Fragile as her tiny form was, these men could break her in an instant.

“Don’t talk to them,” he growled.

She squeezed his hand. Ever since they’d left the hotel, she’d been holding onto it. Now she smiled up at him reassuringly. “It’s okay. I know them.”

He looked at them again. They looked — dangerous.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“We can’t. You _know_ we can’t. This is our only lead.”

“Then we let Saeyoung rot.”

Her face twisted in pain. Dammit. No.

“I can’t do that,” she said.

_Wrong, wrong, wrong._

“Fine,” he found himself snapping. “But stay behind me.”

Without letting go of her hand, he strode forward, tugging her along with him.

“We’re here to see the one called Jumin,” he demanded.

The guards stiffened. One kept his eyes on him, while the other’s gaze flicked to the girl at his side. “Miss Charlotte. Are you all right?”

Just as he’d asked, she stayed where she was, a step behind him. Good. The stem of goldenrod he’d pinned to her shirt must be working, keeping her cautious.

He opened his mouth to snap at the guard, but her free hand touched his arm, and the motion was enough to make him pause, turning his head to look at her.

With her eyes on the guard, she gave a tiny laugh, and his ire rose. Why was she laughing at him?

_She’s not laughing at us. She wouldn’t do that. Watch — we’ll see what she does—_

Ray. That idiot.

“I’m fine.” Her tone was relaxed. “My friend comes off a little strong, doesn’t he?”

The guard hesitated, then gave a small smile, nodding his head. “You could say that.”

His grip on her hand tightened. He didn’t like the guard talking to her. Yet he felt Ray in his head, holding him back. _Trust her._

 _It’s_ them _I don’t trust._

“He’s all right,” she said. “He’s been looking forward to meeting Jumin for a while, so he’s a little impatient.”

The guard shifted his weight, drawing his attention immediately. But the man only said, “I’ll tell Mr. Han you’re here. Who should I tell him is with you?”

Her expression faltered for a moment, her eyes darting to his. Then she squeezed his hand one more time before returning her attention to the human guard. “Tell him — tell him I’m with my friend Ray.”

 

* * *

 

The C&R executive was taking this all remarkably in stride. V had been in his penthouse for half an hour,  talking about faery courts and magic, and the man seemed completely unmoved. True, he had already experienced quite a bit of fae magic firsthand, but that seemed to V all the more reason for the man to be shaken.

When a knock came at the door, a brief expression of displeasure flitted across his face, but it was gone in an instant. “Excuse me for one moment.”

With that, the executive rose, crossing the room to the door. V watched as he spoke quietly to a man in a suit, able to pick out only a few words. It sounded as though someone was asking to see him.

Then he heard something that made his blood run cold.

“…I’ve never heard of anyone called Ray.”

Oh, no.

_Saeran._

“Let him in!” V spoke before he could properly think, and the executive blinked at him. Taking a breath, V made himself be calm. “Please. If Luciel is in danger, this man will be, too.”

The executive nodded, turning back to the man at the door. “Send them both up. At once.”

 

* * *

 

He wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t afraid. There was no reason to be afraid. He was strong, and no one could hurt him.

And he could protect her. He was strong enough to do that now.

So why was his heart pounding so hard? It must be because of Ray, still there in his mind. That was the only explanation… wasn’t it?

His mortal tugged on his hand, drawing his gaze. To his surprise, she released him, only to cup his face in both her hands, then rise to her tiptoes, capturing his lips with an intensity that left him breathless.

Gods, when she did that… he was powerless, and he was powerful. Powerless because she held his heart in her fist, and she could crush it in an instant. Powerful because…

Because of the way she melted in his arms. Because of the way she sighed into his kiss. He caressed her lips with his, and she shivered, moving one hand to tangle her fingers into his hair. Her every reaction showed him the power he had over her.

It wasn’t one-sided on his part. Her reactions gave her away. She held his heart. He couldn’t deny it any longer. But…

…he was beginning to believe he held hers, too.

He broke the kiss to look at her face, anxious to see her the way he’d affected her expression. Her lips were parted, her eyes dark with desire. Gods, she was beautiful. She was the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen.

“Charlotte,” he breathed.

Her eyes went wide. Then her fingers tightened in his hair. “What did you call me?”

Oh. The name had slipped out.

“Charlotte.” He could hear the defensiveness in his own voice. “Is there any reason I shouldn’t say your name?”

“No.” She pulled his head down so she could kiss him again, then again, and again. “You should say it all the time.”

Just as he began to lose himself in the kiss, the sound of someone clearing their throat jerked him back to reality. He broke away to glare at the security guard who was now regarding them uncomfortably.

“What?” he growled.

“Er — Mr. Han will see you now.”

Ray was close to the surface, brimming with a turmoil of emotions and panic that nearly matched his own. He didn’t bother to push the flower boy away.

Releasing him with obvious reluctance, Charlotte took his hand once again, and he let her lead him to the elevator.

 

* * *

 

V couldn’t calm his nerves, waiting for that elevator door to open. He hadn’t seen Saeran in so long. The precious boy he’d taken under his wing years ago, who was brainwashed now to hate him — V didn’t know what emotion to process first. Fear, shame, sadness… he’d missed the boy so much…

After what seemed like ages, the elevator pinged, and the doors slid open.

The man before him looked nothing like the boy he remembered — and yet was undoubtedly him. His red curls were now a silvery white, the tips of his hair pink. His amber eyes were a startling mint green. He wore a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, paired with black slacks. Those green eyes swept the room suspiciously, then landed on V.

Before he could properly process what was happening, Saeran lunged toward him, wrapping his hands around his throat.

“You!” His growl was somehow desperate. “You!”

V couldn’t speak. His air supply was cut off. Of course, he didn’t need to breathe, and the pain of being choked didn’t matter, not with Saeran finally here in front of him. But he needed to speak. He needed to tell him—

“Stop!” That was the coordinator. “Let him go!”

“You don’t know what he’s done!”

“Then let him go and tell me!”

Saeran’s hands tightened on V’s throat. “He betrayed my Queen. He tried to steal her power. He—”

“The queen?”

“Yes!”

“You mean the queen we’re running from right now?”

Doubt flickered in Saeran’s eyes. His grip faltered just enough for V to get out a few words.

“She… betrayed… me…”

“Lies!”

“What if it’s true? Please, let him go. We’ll talk, we’ll all talk—”

Panic rang in Saeran’s voice. “He and Saeyoung! They abandoned us. They… They…”

The coordinator put her arms around Saeran’s waist, resting her head against his back. “Please,” she whispered.

Suddenly V was free. Instinctively, he reached for his neck, watching as Saeran grabbed his own head, tearing at his hair. “I can’t—”

The boy slumped, and the coordinator stumbled under his sudden weight. When Saeran looked up again, the innocence and fear in his eyes was a sharp contrast to the fury he’d shown only a moment before.

“Ray,” the coordinator said, tightening her arms around his waist.

Saeran looked up at V, and V realized his lashes were wet. “V,” the boy said.

This was V’s fault. All of it was his fault.

“I’m sorry,” V said.

“Why?” Saeran straightened, lifting his head. His voice was hard, but his eyes were so sad they made V’s chest ache. “What happened? What did you do?”

Where to even begin? “I was supposed to protect you, and I failed.”

“Protect me from what?”

V hesitated. The big question. Well, he supposed they might as well jump right into it.

“From… the man who kidnapped Luciel.”

Confusion crossed Saeran’s innocent face. But the coordinator spoke first.

“You know who kidnapped Luciel?”

It was time for it all to come out. “Yes. It could only be one faery.”

“Who? Who!”

His voice left him, but he rallied quickly. “His father.”

Saeran spoke again. “Why would this Luciel’s father want to hurt me?”

… He didn’t know? V tilted his head as he spoke. “Because he’s your father, too.”

 

* * *

 

The words sent Ray reeling. “My… my father?”

He knew nothing of his family. Had no memories of anything before his Queen found him. But the Voice — the Voice remembered things. The Voice must have known.

_What does he mean?_

The Voice was there, his fury and fear tumbling around in their mind, but when Ray asked the question, he ignored it.

Fine. If the Voice wouldn’t answer, he’d have to ask V. With a deep breath, he met the man’s eyes. “I — I have a father?”

The instant the words left Ray’s mouth, he felt like an idiot. Of course he had a father. Everyone had parents. But the concept of family connected to him seemed very strange and far away. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Then the secondary meaning of the words hit him. “I have a _brother_?”

V frowned in confusion. “You don’t know — but you said Luciel’s true name—”

The Voice’s anger flared, but still he said nothing.

Of course. Of _course_ the Voice knew already. Ray’s own anger bubbled up, but that wasn’t important right now. Since the Voice wouldn’t talk, Ray tried to put him out of his thoughts. “But this Luciel — he’s a human, isn’t he?”

V shook his head. “S—” He stopped, then started again. “Ray, if you’ll let me, I’ll explain everything.”

How could he trust a word V said? Everything he knew said to get as far away from him as possible. He was dangerous, he was evil—

But that all came from his Queen. It was her words that taught him that. And now his Queen, she was, she was—

She was not what he’d believed.

Charlotte slid one of her arms away from Ray’s waist, reaching instead to touch his arm. The gesture of support gave him strength. All right. He would make this leap of faith.

“I can’t promise I’ll believe you.” Ray found his voice was shaking, but he pushed on. “But I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you're enjoying this, I hope you'll consider leaving an encouraging comment!


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